


It Keeps Getting Stronger

by orphan_account



Category: Haikyuu!!, 終わりのセラフ | Owari no Seraph | Seraph of the End
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crossover, F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-30
Updated: 2016-03-07
Packaged: 2018-04-18 04:28:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 19,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4692107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hinata Shouyou has been a fledgling vampire for nearly all of this life, viewing humans as nothing more than livestock until seeing them for the first time.  Wracked by confusion, he helps Kageyama Tobio escape the vampires' stronghold.  Unfortunately for Shouyou, there are worse things than betraying vampires.</p><p>!! Trigger warnings for gore, blood, self-harm, and ableistic language !!</p><p>***Major shoutout to my beta!  You know who you are~***</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Blood Runs Thicker Than Memories

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer: I own neither Haikyuu!! nor Owari no Seraph! They belong to their respective copyright holders. If that means you, and you would like me to take down this work, please don't hesitate to ask!

“You’re awfully quiet today, Hinata,” Kiyoko remarks, watching the young vampire out of the corner of her eye. “Not feeling sick, are we?”

“No.” Shouyou shakes his head, wondering what she means by “sick”. _I have vampire blood; I don’t get sick easily._

“Hmm, well, you might at least try to look a little less like you were just stabbed through the chest.  Are you hungry?” As she speaks, Kiyoko tucks her dark hair neatly behind her pointed ears. “I can always make you . . . breakfast.”

“Maybe a little,” Shouyou agrees, but he knows that’s not it.  Watching Kiyoko slit her own wrist with her pointer finger nearly makes him want to vomit.  _What the hell’s wrong with me today?  I was just fine yesterday!_

But then, maybe yesterday was the start of all this.  Shouyou cringes internally at the thought of the drafty hall with the rows and rows of livestock _.  Humans_ , he reminds himself. _They’re called humans . . . but why should I care, anyway?  I’m not one of them anymore._

As if to emphasize the point to himself, he takes the few steps to close the distance between him and Kiyoko and grabs her arm.  Clamping his fangs just above the cut she made, Shouyou takes two quick mouthfuls before letting go.  As soon as his jaws leave Kiyoko’s wrist, the wound heals itself, leaving her pale skin flawless.

“Thank you, Kiyoko-sama,” Shouyou mumbles, wiping his mouth on his sleeve.  The blood tastes just the same as it always has, and he drank it like he always has, yet something about it is different.

“You’re welcome.” Kiyoko places her finger—the same finger she used to slice her wrist—under Shouyou’s chin and lifts it to look into his eyes. “You’re a vampire; you know that, right?” she asks quietly, her unyielding eyes meeting his. “I made the choice to change you, and you can’t go back.”

“I know that.  I don’t want to go back.” Shouyou dry-swallows as Kiyoko withdraws her hand and begins to stride away.

“Good.”  With that, Kiyoko leaves Shouyou alone, though he can hear her footsteps in the corridor.

Shouyou sinks to his knees in the middle of the room, thinking. _It wasn’t even . . . really that bad . . . they were all asleep . . ._

Sleeping flat on their backs in rows like that, it was easy to picture them as nothing more than the cattle the vampires saw them as.  They had seemed so weak and vulnerable, like even Shouyou could kill them in one blow.

Abruptly, Shouyou stands, deciding to go see them again _.  It’s not like I’m not allowed to . . . no one said I couldn’t.  In fact, I don’t know why I didn’t think to do it before_.  Hoping no one would come to ask him where he was going (because if they did, he would lose his courage and slink away), Shouyou makes his way through the corridors and outside, where the sky was altogether too blue for his mood _. If this were a shoujo manga, the sky would be dark and stormy because I, the protagonist, am sad._  Even as he thinks this, Shouyou scoffs _.  I wouldn’t be the protagonist.  I’d probably be a background character no one notices._

He looks down to find his thumbs rapidly hitting each other over the rest of his intertwined fingers.  It’s a nervous habit he’s had as long as he can remember, not to mention one of the many small things that proved he isn’t full vampire.

Someday, he would have to drink blood from the livestock—no, the _humans_ —and become a full-fledged vampire.  If he waited too long . . .

It isn’t something Shouyou likes to think about.  He doesn’t have any sort of adult figure he can confide in, and it’s lonely. Not that he’d ever want to talk to any of the vampires anyway.  They always mock him, asking _why don’t you just turn now and stay a child forever?_

Shouyou crosses under the bridge and starts ascending the stairs to get to the dark hall where the humans are kept.  He just wants a quick peek, maybe.  Something to reassure himself that they really aren’t that special.  There’s no reason to feel, well, guilty about anything.  There was a reason vampires were keeping them like livestock.  _Survival of the fittest; domination over the weak_.  He recalls reading about such concepts in one of the books in Krul Tepes’ library.

_I’ll just have a quick peek and be done with it . . . except . . ._

Whether it is the time of day or just his rotten luck, the humans are out and about.   Shouyou considers trying to blend in, but they’ve already spotted him.  His clothes probably give it away, too.  Kiyoko had a miniaturized version of the standard vampire clothing made for him, and against the humans’ livestock outfits, it set him apart even more.

“What are you doing here?”

Shouyou turns to find an angry human glaring at him, his arms crossed. “I, um, I’m allowed here!”  As soon as he says it, Shouyou regrets it.  He shouldn’t have to justify himself to the _humans_.

The _human_ ’s eyebrows shoot up, and he smirks. “Aren’t you one of the baby vampires?  What would happen if we killed you?”

“You can’t kill me,” Shouyou answers automatically. “No _human_ will ever be a match for a vampire.”

“We’ll see.” The boy turns and walks away, and a few others hurry after him.

Shouyou glances around.  The other _humans_ seem to be pointedly avoiding his gaze except for one, a black-haired one about Shouyou’s own age with furious green eyes.  A slight shiver goes down his back; this _human_ really looks like he would kill Shouyou if he could _.  And really . . . who says he can’t?_

Bothered by this, Shouyou backs away and flits back down the stairs.  He’s never fought a _human_ , nor has he ever seen a vampire fight one.  What if they aren’t actually that weak, and the vampires are just telling him that to make him afraid of them?  Or to make the _humans_ afraid of them?

 _Or both, since I used to be one,_ he thinks bitterly.

 The unsettling feeling only gets worse.

 


	2. Humans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts are thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the kudos! :O 129 hits? Nice~
> 
> And yeah, I still don't own any of these, so . . .

Shouyou wakes up the next morning feeling groggy and confused.  First, why had he slept?  Vampires don’t need to sleep.  They can, of course, but it’s viewed as something really lazy.  Secondly, why does he still feel like crap?

Shouyou groans and stands, stretching and frowning.  “I . . . slept . . .”

“Yeah, you did.”  The voice of Kozume Kenma forces Shouyou to fully wake up. “Good thing no one but me noticed~”

Kenma’s blond head comes into view as Shouyou twists his back, popping it loudly. “Thanks.”

“For what?” Kenma shoves him rather playfully, his tense mood lightening. “All I did was watch you drool into your shirt.”

“Wait, what?” Shouyou grasps at the front of his shirt in dismay, only to find it dry. “You liar.”

“It probably dried up.” Kenma shrugs. “You only slept for about thirteen hours.  Kiyoko probably didn’t even notice you were gone.”

“Yeah.”  Shouyou follows Kenma down the corridor and outside, where they sit on the steps.  Shouyou can see beyond his home to the decimated human cities beyond.  _I wonder how many there are.  How many survived.  I wonder what they’re doing._

_I wonder if my parents and Natsu are out there._

It is an unbidden thought, and Shouyou pushes it away before he can start dwelling on it.  Whether or not his human parents and sister are still alive—and that’s doubtful—it doesn’t matter anymore.  Vampires don’t have parents or family.  It’s a dumb thing for him to wonder.

“Hello~” Kenma waves his arm in front of Shouyou’s face. “Where’s Shou-chan?  He left me.”

“No, it’s okay; I’m still here,” Shouyou says, batting Kenma’s hand away. “I won’t leave, I promise.  However . . .”

“Huh?” Kenma tilts his head. “What, are you—”

Shouyou jumps on him, wrapping his arms around Kenma’s neck. “Break my grip, Kenma.  Do it.”

Laughing, Kenma lets his weight fall backwards onto Shouyou, forcing him onto the ground.  Shouyou barely has time to re-adjust his center of gravity before Kenma slips through his loosened grip.  He’s standing in a flash and presses his foot against Shouyou’s chest. “I think I won.”

“You so did not!” Shouyou grabs Kenma’s foot and rolls, ending up with the other boy falling on top of him.

“I’m still holding you down, technically, so I think I win,” Kenma mumbles into Shouyou’s hair before getting up again.

“Fine, you win this one,” Shouyou agrees, forcing a laugh.  The game isn’t as fun as usual.  Nothing is as fun as it used to be, and it scares him a little.

“Who are you, and what have you done with Shou-chan?” Kenma asks jokingly. “Are you still sleepy?  Normally, you’d never just surrender like that.”

“I’m fine, yeah,” Shouyou lies, scratching the back of his head.

“You always touch around the base of your skull when you’re lying,” Kenma accuses. “What?  Are we keeping secrets now?”

“No, it’s not that—I just . . . I’m sorry.”  Shouyou shrugs, sitting on the bottom step. “I think I’m going a little crazy.”

Kenma settles down next to Shouyou and gazes off into the distance, further even than the human cities.  To Shouyou, it’s as if Kenma is trying to find something in the horizon.  _Or maybe that’s what I’m doing,_ Shouyou admits sheepishly to himself. _I wish I could be like Kenma . . . he doesn’t get excited or angry easily . . . he just goes with it . . ._

He came back to Earth to find Kenma staring at him. “Sorry, what?”

“You really are going a little crazy,” Kenma comments, his brow furrowing. “I said, what do you think is the problem?”

“Promise you won’t laugh?”

“You didn’t laugh when I told you about Nekoma,” Kenma reminds him gently.

Shouyou remembers Kenma telling him about the hometown he grew up in, before the virus and before the vampires.  Kenma is only one year older than Shouyou, but he was turned later. He remembers things.  And one day, those things became too much to remember alone, so he had told Shouyou.

“That’s kind of not . . . the same . . .” Shouyou says, not sure what he’s even trying to say anymore.

“Okay, well, you have to tell me, or I won’t know.”

Shouyou shrugs again. “I visited the humans yesterday.  All on my own, without Kiyoko-sama.  And then I started, well, thinking about . . . my . . . parents?” He phrases it like a question, but it’s not a question.

“What about them?” Kenma isn’t as tense as Shouyou expected him to be, seeing as he saw his own parents slaughtered by vampires as a child.

“Just . . . well, if they’re, you know, alive.” Shouyou knows it’s doubtful, but it feels nice to tell someone.  It almost makes him wish his parents were dead, like Kenma’s, because then he wouldn’t have to worry about them.  Almost, but not quite.

“Shou-chan,” Kenma starts carefully. “I don’t want to be mean . . . but you know they’re probably . . .”

“Dead, yeah.” Shouyou shakes his head. “Ignore me; I’m just a mess for some reason _.”  Why am I so concerned with those humans?  Why, why, why?_

He can’t help but remember the words of the tall boy. _We’ll see_ , he’d said.  It was as if he was challenging Shouyou.  _No, it was like he was threatening me.  And then there was that other one_.  Both of the humans freak him out, albeit for different reasons.  He shakes himself, trying to clear his head.

“I’m always here for you,” Kenma says simply.  The same words Shouyou said to him after nearly an hour of missing Nekoma.

“I know . . . thank you; I really—”

“Hi~ Na~ Ta~”

“Damn,” Shouyou flinches at Kiyoko’s voice. “Y-yes?  Kiyoko-sama?”

“There you are.” Kiyoko stands at the top of the stairs, forcing the two child vampires to look up at her. “Come with me, will you?  We have something important to discuss.”

Shouyou sends a horrified look in Kenma’s general direction before smoothing out his features and meeting Kiyoko at the top of the stairs.

“See you later!” Kenma calls after them cheerfully.

As they leave the outdoors and enter the chilly corridors, Kiyoko eyes Shouyou. “Do you enjoy talking to your . . . friend?”

Shouyou opens his mouth before hesitating.

~*~

_“Friendships aren’t something to be desired.  Relying on everyone else to do things makes you weak.”_

_“What about you?  I rely on you.”_

_“And you’re weak because of it.  Don’t think of anyone—not even your fellow vampires—as friends.  They’re simply partners, if that.”_

_“So . . . we’re not a side?  Don’t we have to . . . fight for each other?  Against the livestock?”_

_“Sides?  Why are you talking about sides?  One does not need sides against livestock.  Listen to me, Hinata: if you can’t stand alone and fight for yourself, there’s no good in trying to fight for others.  Do you understand?”_

_“Yes, Kiyoko-sama.”_

_“No, you don’t.  Maybe you will, someday.”_

~*~

“He’s not my friend,” Shouyou lies, keeping his face blank. “We just talk sometimes.”

“I see,” Kiyoko replies, and Shouyou knows she doesn’t believe him.  “Well, anyway, that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Okay . . . ?”

“As you know, you’re just a fledgling vampire,” Kiyoko states matter-of-factly. “One day, you’re going to have to drink the blood of a living human and become a full vampire.”

“I know that,” Shouyou says. “Kiyoko-sama.”

“But do you know what happens if you don’t?” she presses, looking down at him.

“Yeah, I’ll go insane and become a demon.”

“Yes,” Kiyoko agrees, “I am told it hurts terribly to become a demon.  Do you want that?”  Before he can answer, she presses on, “I recommend you not wait for more than ten years.  Because by that time, my blood is going to stop being enough for you.”

“What?” Shouyou swallows. “But, I thought—”

“You thought you could stay like this forever?” Kiyoko smiles wryly. “Fledgling vampires can last indefinitely on their sire’s blood, but after a certain amount of time, even my blood won’t be enough to sate your thirst.”

Shouyou hides his disappointment behind a veneer of indifference, but inwardly he shrinks away from the thought. _I guess I knew it was unavoidable, but I hoped . . . I don’t know . . ._

Actually, he’s never considered _not_ becoming a vampire until now.  He had been turned as a very small child and can’t remember much about being human.  For some reason, though . . . seeing the rest of them makes him wish he could go back.

“Is that all, Kiyoko-sama?” Shouyou asks tentatively.

Before she can answer, more pairs of footsteps approach cutting her off.  The silvery hair of Ferid Bathory whips into view behind its owner, and Kiyoko’s shoulders tighten almost imperceptibly.

“Hello~” Ferid sings. “How are you today, Kiyoko?”

“Just fine; thank you,” Kiyoko responds easily, her hand resting on Shouyou’s shoulder. “And you, Ferid?”

“Magnificent,” comes the singsong reply. “In fact, I’m off to go for a lovely stroll.  It’s quite nice today, although not as nice as yesterday.”

Shouyou blanches; Ferid is pointedly looking straight at him as he speaks of the day before. He saw me, Shouyou realizes with an unpleasant jolt. He saw me, and now he’s going to tell Kiyoko.

“Yes; the clouds have cleared up,” Kiyoko agrees airily. “Well, don’t let us hold you back.  Have a good day, Ferid.”

“To you as well.” Ferid and his companions continue down the corridor and out of sight.

Shouyou dares a glance at Kiyoko’s face and surprised to see it tight with dislike. “You don’t like him.”

Flipping her hair behind her shoulders, Kiyoko resumes walking, at a faster pace than before. “It does not matter whether or not I like Ferid Bathory.  Go away, Hinata.  I have no further business with you.”

“O-okay.” Shouyou stops and watches as Kiyoko, her pace rapidly increasing, rounds another corner and leaves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks again to my beta!


	3. AUTHOR'S NOTE

Please don't kill me, my lovely readers ;_;

This fic has officially been put on **temporary**   **hiatus.** I know, I know, that sucks.

I assure, you have several reasons, among which are lack of inspiration and extreme lack of time :P

However, I promise you will have the next actual chapter NO LATER THAN Saturday, 19 September, 2015.  There may not be an illustration to go with it so I don't stress out my illustrator, but you will have stuff to read.

Thanks so much for reading! :D


	4. Shut up!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It turns out there are many pessimists in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, your chapter *bows*
> 
> Please excuse its lateness~

As the sun sets, heat seeps from Tobio’s body into the stone wall behind him, but instead of moving to a warmer spot or even up a stair into the remaining sunlight, he simply sits, letting the cold creep into him.  Eventually, he’ll be forced to go to bed anyway.  Not that he has an actual bed, but it’s as close to a bed as he’s likely to get at this point.

“I hate feeling so dizzy all the time; it’s so stupid.”

Tobio watches passively as a mess of black hair and anger flops face-down on the ground a stair below him. “You just said _so_ twice in that sentence.”

“Shut up.” Yuu’s face turns toward Tobio, his check squashed against the cold stone.

“Me?  Jeez, Yuu.  I was here first, enjoying my life, and you come along and—”

Yuu laughs harshly. “You don’t _enjoy your life_ , Tobi, so don’t give me that.”  Eyeing the crushed tube from the “nutrients” from the vampires, he adds, “And don’t say you like the food, either, because—”

“Shut up, Yuu; I never said I like them.  I was just sitting here, minding my own damn business.”  Tobio rubs his hands together in an attempt to warm them, then shoves them into this pockets.

Yuu’s eyes narrow. “About that.  Why don’t the vampires ever take _your_ blood?  Are you just too bitter even for them?”

Tobio leans back against the wall and shrugs. “I don’t know.  Maybe they take yours because you’re around the little blood-bank all the time.  Makes you more appealing.”  His fingers twitch in his pockets, curling into fists and then relaxing.

“The what?  What the hell are you talking about?” Yuu hit Tobio’s leg with enough force to unbalance him.

“You don’t know?  Alright then.” Tobio settles back against the wall, ignoring Yuu’s evident growing anger and shrugging again. “Maybe it’s supposed to be a secret.”

“Who do you think you are, King of the Vampires?” Yuu rolls over onto his back. “You act like you know everything about everyone.”

“Shut up, Yuu.” Tobio snaps, kicking at Yuu’s head.

“And you were complaining about me saying that. You’ve now said it twice in the past minute,” Yuu points out, dodging another kick. “Didn’t anyone ever teach you any manners?”

Tobio snorts, thinking of the vampires’ crude methods of drawing blood and serving food. “Who’s there to learn from?”

Before Yuu can come up with a snappy retort, an overly-excited boy jumps on him, pinning him down. “Hi, Yuu-chan!  Hi, um, Tobi.”

“Neither of you seem to have noticed, but it’s _Tobio_.  With an _o_.” Tobio snorts at Yuu scrambling to roll Mika off him.

“Mi-ka-get-off!” Yuu gasps, failing to push the other boy off.

Mika laughs, a sound Tobio’s only heard from the hyperactive blond. “Yuu-chan, guess what I got?” Mika pushes off the ground and pulls a few brightly wrapped candies out of his pocket. “They’re chocolates!  I think they have wine inside them.”

Groaning, Yuu sits up and stares at the shiny red wrapping before slapping Mika’s hand.  Tobio’s eyes follow the candies as they fall onto the step by his feet. “Why are you eating that shit?  Why would you eat anything of theirs?”

“You always say the food they give us is gross,” Mika replies brightly, picking up the remaining candies. “And these are actually good.  Come on, Yuu-chan.  Try one.  Tobio?”

Tobio shakes his head, not looking at Mika.  Yuu scowls, glaring at the prettily wrapped commodities with ill-disguised hatred.

“Well, maybe Akane’ll want one,” Mika says, inspecting them. “I don’t have enough for the little kids to each have one. . . .” As if uncertain, he stares at them for a moment longer before shoving them back into his pocket. “If you want one later, let me know.  They’re really not bad, you know.”

Yuu starts to nod before grabbing Mika’s wrist. “Hold on.  Where did you get those?  They don’t just leave them lying around where we can get them.”

Mika smiles and tilts his head.  Against his will, Tobio is suddenly reminded of an over-zealous kitten. “It’s okay, Yuu-chan.  I didn’t steal them.”

Yuu whips around to glower at Tobio. “Wait . . . you said I hang around with a blood bank.  Did you mean Mika?”  When Tobio only gives a noncommittal grunt, Yuu yanks on Mika’s arm, pulling him to the ground. “Have you been giving vampires your blood personally?!”

Rubbing his knee with his free hand, Mika smiles sheepishly. “No . . .”

“Mika!” Yuu hisses. “Tell me!  Who is it?”

Mika twisted his arm and broke free of Yuu’s grip, massaging his wrist. “Don’t worry, Yuu-chan.  I’m not giving vampires my blood . . . just . . . one . . .”

“ _Mika_!” Yuu lunges for Mika, but the blue-eyed boy evades him with a few quick steps.

“It’s okay, Yuu-chan.  Really.” Placing a hand on Yuu’s shoulder, Mika smiles again, a warmer and happier smile.

“You’re not going to tell me who it is, are you?” Yuu sighs. “Why are you so _stupid_?”

“Who’s stupid?  Tobio?  That’s normal; don’t worry.” 

All three boys turn towards the two figures descending the stairs, the first of whom sits a stair above Tobio. “Hi.”

“Thanks for calling me stupid, Hisashi,” Tobio grumps.

Hisashi bobs his head. “You’re not exactly a genius.”

“Actually, I’m the stupid one Yuu meant,” Mika adds brightly. “I don’t think I’ve met you . . . ?”

“I’m Kinoshita Hisashi.” The brown-haired boy next to Tobio nods at Mika. That’s Narita Kazuhito.”

Kazuhito lets out a grunt at his name and slides down the wall to sit on the stair on Hisashi’s other side. “You’re . . . Yuu?”

“I’m Mika. _That’s_ Yuu,” Mika says, pointing at Yuu, whose brow furrows even further.

“Don’t look at me; _he’s_ the King of Vampires.” Yuu points an accusing finger at Tobio, who raises his hands in surrender.  In the twilight, it’s hard to make out facial expressions, but Tobio is fairly sure Hisashi and Kazuhito are inwardly laughing at him.

Hisashi raises an eyebrow but says nothing. “King of the Vampires?” Kazuhito asks. “How’d you figure that one?”

“Because they worship him too much to take his blood or something,” Yuu says disdainfully, standing. “Come on, Mika, Akane’s waving at us.”  Tobio can’t see anything and suspects Yuu just wants to talk to Mika alone about feeing vampires, but he’s distracted by the two others’ laughing.

Tobio rolls his eyes and begins a protest, but Hisashi cuts him off. “Well, if you’re the King, maybe you should free us or something.”

“Shut up.”

“That’s the fourth or fifth time _you’ve_ said that,” Yuu points out before grabbing Mika’s hand and dragging him away.

“See you later!” the perky blond calls over his shoulder as he and Yuu wander off, Yuu already rapidly speaking and gesturing at Mika.

Kazuhito stretches, his back popping in several places. “Seems nice, that Mika fellow.”

“He’s got a lot of energy,” Hisashi agrees, resting his head on Kazuhito’s shoulder.  He’s just tall enough that Kazushito is at a perfect height. “Unlike me.  I think I’m falling asleep right here.  I kind of feel like I could fall asleep anywhere, if I really wanted to.”

“You can sleep on me.” Kazuhito mimes tucking Hisashi in with one hand. “Just go to sleep, you inglorious bastard.”

“You two are revolting; get a room,” Tobio advises sarcastically as Hisashi almost instantly falls asleep, his head rolling off Kazuhito’s shoulder.

Kazuhito catches it and lets Hisashi use his leg as a pillow, bending his prone body into an awkward position. “Trust me, if I had a room, I’d be there.”

“Wouldn’t we all.” Tobio glances around the courtyard, where faces blur together in a mix of hair and the never-ending white of their uniforms. “It’s a bit insulting that we wear these things.  What about the clothes we had before them?  What if we wanted to keep them?”

“Um, I don’t know about you, but I came here when I was about seven,” Kazuhito answers, absently running his fingers through Hisashi’s hair. “I couldn’t even fit into my old clothes anymore.  And these are pretty warm; I mean, it’s a bit chilly.”

Tobio groans, tempted to pull Kazuhito down the steps but not wanting to disturb the sleeping Hisashi. “What are you, a happy cloud or some shit?”

“I guess, if you’re the King,” Kazuhito responds jokingly.

“Oh my god, _shut up_.”


	5. Fighting in the Library and Talking to People

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shouyou gets himself into trouble, again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI!! I really am sorry for all the late updates and for the shittiness of this chapter, but I'm going to try to update every Sunday or so from now on and hopefully they'll be decent chapters, at least ;_; 
> 
> Thanks for reading!

The wind begins to pick up as the sun rises in earnest, but Shouyou stays in the shadows.  Only minutes ago it was hard for him to see, which meant the humans weren’t able to see him at all.  Except now they probably can.

He knows he should get back inside and go read in a corner somewhere, or attend a class, but instead, Shouyou presses himself further back against the wall in the hopes that he can stay and watch for a little longer.  They haven’t noticed him yet, mostly because they’re just starting to actually come outside.  Shouyou wonders what they do inside when the vampires aren’t there.

And then, quite suddenly, they’re meandering out of their stone prison; some are just milling about and some are heading to various places where they like to sit.  Shouyou watches in fascination, feeling almost _left out_ , as if they’d once been his friends but now have purposely abandoned him.  The younger ones are forgettable, but some of the other ones . . . Shouyou wishes he and Kenma could have more friends.

 _Don’t let Kiyoko hear you say that_ , Shouyou chides himself. _Friends aren’t a good thing.  Especially not in humans.  They’re just . . . livestock._

“Found you!”

Shouyou is pulled to the ground and feels a weight pressing on him. “Kenma!  What’re you doing?”

“That’s what I was going to ask _you_ ,” Kenma replies, letting Shouyou up and sitting back on his legs. “You’re just staring off into space.”

“I wasn’t staring off into space,” Shouyou mutters, regretting the words instantly.

Kenma sighs and shakes his head. “You were looking at _them_ again, weren’t you?  What is it with you and them?  A week ago you didn’t give a damn.”

Shouyou shrugs, beginning to walk away. “Let’s go see if there’s anything we’re supposed to be doing.”

“I doubt it,” Kenma says, following. “From what I hear, there was a less-than-friendly conversation this morning among some of the Progenitors.”

“Probably some useless shit or other.” Shouyou reaches to pull open the door to the library, holding it open for Kenma.

“Yeah, but it involved Queen Krul, so . . .”

Shouyou and Kenma are the only ones in the library, as usual.  Few vampires actually like sitting down and reading, and the ones who do usually have their own books.  The two fledglings have been coming here for a few years now.  Only once has Shouyou seen another vampire, but he hadn’t recognized her.

The two make their way to their favorite corner.  Each takes an old chintz chair, and they sit in amiable silence for a moment before Kenma leans forward. “You never answered my question.”

“Um . . . what?” Shouyou, genuinely confused, tilts his head slightly. “When did you ask me a question?”

“About why you keep going back to look at the people,” Kenma states flatly. “Kiyoko’d be mad if she found out.”

“I don’t know.” Shouyou taps his index fingers together nervously.

Kenma shakes his head. “I get that you don’t want to sound stupid but . . . I won’t laugh or anything.”

Shouyou leans back, then sits forward again, resting his elbows on his thighs. “Look, I really just . . . don’t know.  I guess I’ve just been thinking too much.”

“Yeah, you have.”

Something in Kenma’s tone annoys Shouyou, who says, “Maybe _I_ didn’t give up on humanity so easily.”

“Excuse me?” Kenma’s polite words are muted by tense anger. “You . . . you think I _wanted_ this?  Any of this?  Did _you_ want it?”

“No, wait, that’s not what I meant—” Shouyou waves his hands in front of his face. “Ken—”

Kenma exhales loudly through his nose. “It’s what you said, isn’t it?  What _is_ it with you?  You see them once and _bam_ , it’s like you were de-vampired or something.”

“Kenma, no, no, I didn’t mean that; I’m sorry!” Shouyou is nearly shouting now. “I don’t know why I’m getting all stupid and sentimental, okay?  I don’t know why I keep thinking about the humans or about Natsu or about any of this!  I wish I could just go back to when it didn’t bother me . . . being a vampire . . .”

“You don’t even know any of them.” Kenma laughs mirthlessly and shakes his head again, standing. “I don’t want to be mad at you, alright?  Just come back when you’ve gotten your head out of your ass a little.”

Before Shouyou can think of a comeback—or even a decent response—Kenma has already gone.  Sitting alone with books no one reads anymore, Shouyou remembers the hatred on the black-haired boy’s face again.  “They hate me,” he tells the empty chair across from him. “They hate me, because they hate vampires, and to them, I’m just a vampire.  They probably don’t even know that I’m not, or that I wasn’t before . . .”

The door to the library slams loudly, and Shouyou jumps. “H-hello?” He can’t hear anyone, and he can’t see anything moving from his spot in the chair.  _Wait, was anyone here when we came in?_ He hadn’t thought so, but then, a vampire could have easily hidden.  He and Kenma could beat an unarmed human with their hands cut off, but they are no match for the power of full-grown vampires.  Nor are their senses as sharp.

 _Someone heard that argument, didn’t they?_ Shouyou pushes a strand of hair out of his eyes before tentatively asking, “Is anyone there?  Kenma?”

Unnerved, he half-runs to the door and leaves.  He should go find Kenma and apologize for the humanity jibe properly, but instead he turns toward the livestock housing again.  Each step becomes shorter and faster as he goes, and before long he’s full-on sprinting toward them.  The shock from the library incident and his argument with Kenma are too confusing to deal with, so he just runs.

And because his top speed is quite fast, he’s among the humans before he knows it, but not before they do.  Most of them are edging away, seemingly afraid of him.  A few, on the other hand, are openly hostile.  Shouyou doesn’t see either of the boys from before until one stands up.

“It’s you again, huh?  What do you want with us?”

Shouyou shrinks under the furious blue gaze.  “I, um.  I.  Well.  How old are you?”

“What?” Taken aback, the other narrows his eyes. “What’s it to you?  Who even are you?”

“I’m um, Hinata Shouyou,” Shouyou says, realizing too late it’s probably not the best idea to give out his name. “I’m twelve.”

“Nice to meet you!” Another boy pops up to Shouyou’s right, his blue eyes bright with careful excitement. “I’m Hyakuya Mika.  I’m twelve too, although not . . . um . . .”

“I didn’t want to be a vampire,” Shouyou says automatically, hearing snorts from the others.

“I don’t, either.” Mika nods sagely before pointing to the tall boy from before. “That’s Tobi, and he’s the King of the Vampires.”

“He’s—what?” Confused, Shouyou squints at the boy. “We have a queen, don’t we?”

“He’s not the _actual_ King,” Mika explains. “We just call him that.”

Mika continues talking, telling Shouyou something about where the nickname came from, but tiny alarm bells are going off in Shouyou’s head.  Something is a little off in the way Mika’s talking and in the way Tobi and a few others are now leaving.  It all feels _fake_ , almost.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, um, school has been keeping me pretty busy, but like I said, I'll try to update more often hehe. But if you're reading this, huge shoutout to you for being patient with my slow ass.
> 
> XD
> 
> ~Thunder


	6. Offerings of Blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mika is too happy about giving away his lifeblood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay for an update when I actually promised it!

Mika waits until everyone is completely still and silent and for a count of 100 before quietly getting up and slinking across to the door.  The moon isn’t out tonight because of the clouds, which is good for sneaking.  He slips across the quiet stone bridge and up the stairs, entering the vampires’ housing through a side door.

Meeting the orange-haired vampire had been refreshing. Hinata wasn’t exactly the most powerful vampire, but knowing him would be useful later; even the lower-ranked vampires knew where things were. Someday you’ll understand, Yuu, Mika thinks, remembering Yuu’s angry words after the vampire had left.  Yuu had been so angry, calling Mika a traitor.  You’ll see . . . it’s good to have friends in high places . . . or at least places above you.

Mika nearly begins whistling because he’s in such a good mood, but instead he swallows the noise and makes his way down the corridor and up a flight of stairs.  He’s aware that any vampires around can probably hear him, but hopefully they’ll assume the noise he’s making is just from another vampire.  None of them have caught him, at least not yet.

At the top of the stairs, Mika turns purposefully left and approaches a door on the left side of the hallway.  But unlike other times he’s been here, a door down the hall is open, and light is flooding out of it.  Intrigued, Mika backtracks to hide around the corner, listening.

There isn’t much to hear, as a moment later footsteps lead out of the door.  Mika looks around frantically to a place to hide, but he doesn’t have to.  Next to him, a door opens and he hears a quick, “In here, idiot!”

It takes him a moment to realize the voice belongs to Hinata, and he slips into the room.  Hinata closes the door and glares at him. “What are you doing here?”

“Well, you came to see us, didn’t you?” Mika asks in a cheerful whisper. “Besides, I wasn’t actually—”  He bites his tongue, thinking maybe it’s better not to tell this vampire just as much as he’d been about to.  Hinata seems like a friendlier vampire, but he is still a vampire.

“That—that’s different!” Hinata protests, seemingly missing the second part of Mika’s reply. “I’m allowed down there!  If they catch you here, they’ll probably kill you or . . . or something!”

“‘Or something,’ huh?” Mika laughs. “It’s okay.  I know what I’m doing.”  He lets his eyes wander around the room.  It seems more like a study than a room, which makes sense.  It seems vampires don’t need much sleep.  The other vampire Mika was familiar with didn’t have a bed, either.  Hinata’s room was furnished with various pieces of wooden furniture, but it’s oddly empty.  Back at the orphanage, there were books on shelves and pencils in drawers.  But here . . . it’s like everything is just for show.

Hinata, about to speak, freezes. “What?  You’ve been here before?”

“ . . . ”

“ . . . ”

The two have a silent staring contest before Mika’s eyes burn and he has to blink.  Hinata’s eyes are an unwavering red, and it’s another reminder that friendly as he might seem, this one is just a vampire.  “I . . . I just come to steal food,” Mika lies easily, smiling. “We don’t get very good food, you know.”

Hinata is looking at him suspiciously, so Mika adds, “From the cellar.  It’s easy to sneak in, really.”  He remembers Ferid-sama telling him that, so hopefully it’ll throw Hinata off his scent.

Hinata’s not entirely convinced; Mika can see that. “Well, I guess I’ll be going now!” he says. “Thanks for, um, saving me there.” He chuckles nervously before backing out of the room and shutting the door behind him.  Hinata doesn’t come after him, so he continues down the hall and knocks once, quietly, on another door.

It opens instantly, and Mika steps into the room.  It’s much grander than Hinata’s, with finer wood and a few books on each shelf of the bookcase, though it doesn’t seem like they’re opened very much. The entire room is illuminated by a single lamp, casting most of it into grey shadows. “Good evening, sir,” Mika says politely, bowing.

“Ah, Mika-kun,” the silky voice of Ferid-sama greets him.  Ferid-sama is waiting in his throne-like chair and smirking. “My favorite trinket.  Come, sit down.”  He gestures to the smaller chair by his own, which Mika takes without hesitation.

Rolling up his sleeve, Mika holds out his arm. Ferid-sama takes it almost tenderly and locks gazes with Mika as he slashes Mika’s wrist open with a delicate nail.  Mika has learned by now not to flinch. “You have such fine blood,” Ferid-sama purrs, twisting the arm to bring it to his mouth.  Mika shifts in his seat to accommodate it as Ferid-sama takes three long draughts of his blood before letting his arm fall back onto his lap.

Mika’s gotten used to the slight nausea that accompanies the drinking, so it’s not too much of an issue.  Hiding the marks from the others is the hardest part, but luckily they don’t notice because the bands on his wrist are wide enough to cover them.

“Thank you for coming tonight, Mika-kun.” Ferid-sama leans back and watches him unblinkingly. “I almost though you wouldn’t.”

“Why not?” Mika dares to ask.  He’s feeling adventurous tonight, after all.

“Today was . . . rather eventful . . . for you.”

Mika tilts his head, genuinely confused. “What?”

“Didn’t Shouyou-kun come to visit you?  He was quite awkward, wasn’t he?  Rest assured, he’s always like that.”

“I, um.  Okay.”  Mika doesn’t know if Hinata’s going to get in trouble for it, but Ferid-sama doesn’t seem to be especially angry, just amused.  Then again, it’s hard to read his facial expressions.

“Now . . . what would you say for a fair reward?  Candied apples?  Chocolate pocky?  Perhaps I’ll give you both, since I wasn’t expecting you tonight at all.”

“Thank you, Ferid-sama!” Mika beams as he is handed one large package and one small one. “I’ll see you in two nights!”

“I look forward to it,” comes the easy reply.

Mika nods, bows, and leaves the room.  He knows his way back without thinking much about it, so he doesn’t have to look to either side as he goes.  Because of this, he misses Hinata’s horrified stare boring into his back as he starts back down the stairs.


	7. What's in a Name?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shouyou basically does a lot of stuff he probably shouldn't.

Shouyou paces around his room, conflicted.  He can’t very well march into Ferid’s room and ask about Mika any more than he can go back down and ask Mika himself.  What would he say? _Oh, after I saw you in our quarters last night and saved your ass I also saw you accepting gifts from Ferid Balthory?  Which is a mistake on so many levels?_   That would go well.  He might as well cut of his own head with a cursed blade if he’s going to do that.

He tries to put it out of his mind, because it really isn’t his business, but as soon as Shouyou tells himself to forget about it, he knows it’s a lost cause.  There’s no better way to ensure something will stay on your mind than to tell yourself not to think about it. 

But there’s another aspect of it too, which is that drinking directly from humans in the city is illegal.  _Is Ferid breaking the law?_   Not that Shouyou could do anything about it.  In fact, he doubts that even Kiyoko could do anything about it, seeing as vampires don’t exactly go to prison.  And Shouyou doesn’t know how strictly that law is enforced, since until now he’s never known anyone to break it. “I’ll just cause an uproar if I say anything,” he mutters to himself, annoyed. “ _Why_ was Mika up here?”

Shouyou is half-tempted to march down to the livestock quarters and demand an answer, but that’s pushing it.  Three visits in as many days?  Bad plan.  Going looking for Mika is out of the question, at least for a while.

Going looking for Kiyoko, however, is a good idea.  Shouyou feels the beginnings of thirst tugging at the back of his throat, so he sets off down the long hallway to Kiyoko’s door.  He’s expecting it to be unlocked, so when it isn’t, his momentum carries him into the door with a loud thump.

Almost instantly, the door opens a few centimeters, and Kiyoko’s eye appears in the opening before shutting abruptly.  Shouyou presses his ear to the door but hears only a fluttering of movement.  It almost sounds like skin on fabric, as if someone’s shoving themselves into a too-tight shirt. 

A second later, Kiyoko opens the door all the way, sending Shouyou tumbling forward.  If he’d been human he would have fallen and probably broken his nose, but the vampire in him gracefully rolled until he was facing the door again.  Standing, Shouyou glanced around the room. “Are you, um, okay?”

“I’m great,” Kiyoko snaps, drawing a pointed nail across her wrist. “I thought you’d be coming for a drink; I just wasn’t prepared.”

 _I nearly walked in on her changing_ , Shouyou realizes, feeling himself redden. “I am _so_ sorry . . . I totally didn’t . . . That wasn’t my . . . oh god . . .”

“What?  Never mind; just drink.  I have somewhere to be.”  Kiyoko thrusts her arm in front of him.  Alarmed, he takes a few long draughts and subconsciously sighs in relief.  The tension had been getting to him, though he hadn’t realized it.  Now a strange knot in his stomach is loosening, and his shaky nerves are settling down.  _Who cares about Ferid?_ he thinks absently.

“You’re needing blood about every three days now,” Kiyoko notes, stopping her rush to the door to look back at him.  “That indicates about nine years until you’ll need to fully transition.  Just something to think about.  Close the door behind you when you leave.”

Alone in his sire’s room, Shouyou sits on the floor.  “Nine years,” he whispers to the empty room, as if somehow it might assure him he has more time. “I’ll only be 21.”

It’s not the worst physical age, but more than that, it’ll be his mental age for a while. _Do I really want to be 21 forever?_

_Well, it’s 21 or die, so . . ._

Shouyou leaves, remembering to shut the door behind him, and wanders back out and down the stairs.  The same stairs that Mika had been on before. “You know what?  I’m going to go find him.  Who cares if I see them?  I’m not forbidden, and besides, I’ve got to learn to take blood from them using the machine things sometime.  I might as well practice.”  Reassuring himself of this over and over, Shouyou makes his way back to the livestock quarters and slips inside, peering over his shoulder to make sure no vampires are watching.

“What are _you_ doing back here?”  The tall boy, Tobi, confronts Shouyou a few feet from the door, and Shouyou lets out a hiss of frustration.

“What is it with you?”

Tobi stares at him for a moment. “Did you just squeak?”

“I—what?  No!  That was me . . . hissing . . .” Shouyou explains lamely, feeling himself go red for the second time that day.  “Vampires do that when they’re . . . annoyed . . . ?”

“What, like a snake?” Tobi looks him up and down critically. “You’re kind of small.  It sounded like a dying mouse.”

Shouyou looks up, defiant, and meets Tobi’s cool blue-grey eyes.  They’re a more subtle color than Mika’s, and Shouyou holds Tobi’s gaze for a fraction of a second extra before remembering to glare. “I’ll work on it!”

“You do that.”  Tobi nods before narrowing his eyes. “But you didn’t answer my question.  Why do you keep coming back here?”

“I, um, where’s Mika?” Shouyou blurts, unable to form a more coherent sentence. _His eyes are really weird!  I’m so used to shades of red and then there’s Mika and his violently blue eyes and his friend with angry green eyes and then . . . Tobi, with those greyish bluish eyes.  It’s so weird . . ._  Shouyou realizes Tobi and his friends are staring at him, and he blinks. “What?”

“I didn’t say anything,” Tobi replies shortly, turning away. “But I also don’t know where Mika is, or why you’d want to see him, and I really don’t care.”

“He’s been visiting a vampire,” Shouyou mutters. “And not even a nice one, either.”

Tobi and the people on either side of him snort. “There’s no such thing as a nice vampire,” Tobi says dryly.

“But—you aren’t surprised?  Have all of you been doing this?”  Shouyou’s head reels.  If they’ve all been privately visiting vampires, does that mean everyone’s been breaking the rules?  Is _everyone_ just ignoring that rule?  Was that what Kiyoko was doing earlier?  Feeding from humans?  It was apparently really addictive, not that he would know.

“What?  I don’t hang around filth,” Tobi says, already losing interest again. “Look, if you’re looking for Mika I really don’t know where he is, okay?”

Shouyou taps the points of his index fingers together. “Okay . . . thanks anyway, Tobi.”

Sighing, Tobi slowly turns around and marches back up to Shouyou, who licks his lips nervously. “My. Name. Is. _Tobio_.  It has an O in it.  Why does no one understand this?  Do I call you Shouyu?  No!  That’s not your damn name.  Get it right for once!”

Shouyou nods nervously. “Right.  Tobio.  Sorry about that.  I’m going now . . . I won’t bother you again, sorry, sorry.”

As he’s turning to leave again, Shouyou hears a taciturn, “He’ll probably be back tomorrow, so get used to him, I guess.”

_He remembered my name._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise it's going to start picking up; I'm just really slow at developing relationships (because I don't like the whole falling-in-love-after-three-days trope and I'm also aromantic so my cold-hearted little ass doesn't know what it's doing) whoo.
> 
> But thanks again for reading!


	8. Recklessness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's just say Shouyou and Mika are about to make some really bad decisions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this is late, but some shit went down and suddenly it was Wednesday.

Shouyou can’t shake the feeling that something is off.  He doesn’t even know what it is, since Mika hasn’t come back since that night and everything seems to be normal.  Sitting on the wall and swinging his legs up and down, Shouyou bites his lip gently with a pointed fang, deep in thought. _I guess maybe it’s just me realizing that someday soon I’ll be a full-fledged vampire . . . that means Kenma will be, too.  I wonder what he thinks of it.  Are there any others who were Turned instead of just . . . existing as vampires in the first place?_   He doesn’t know of any who started their lives as humans; though if there are any, they probably wouldn’t tell him.

He feels a quick tap on his back and turns around at a speed slightly too fast for humans to follow. He ends up coming face-to-face with an amused Kenma, who smirks. “Hey there.  Mind if I join you?”

“No, sure.” Shouyou pats the stone next to him, and Kenma joins him in a flash, stretching and running his tongue over his own fangs. “I was just thinking about you, actually.  What’s up?”

“That’s creepy,” Kenma laughs. “Not planning anything, are you?  Or if you are, it’s not a prank right?  Please don’t let it be a prank.”

“It’s not like that!” Shouyou protests. “It was about the vampire thing!  We’ll be adults in like, ten years!”

Kenma nods. “Yeah . . . crazy, isn’t it?  We’ve got a long time to exist, I guess.”

“I was just thinking of that, too,” Shouyou agrees.

They fall into companionable silence as the sun sets, slowly dyeing the skyline red, orange, and pink.  Shouyou is suddenly struck with a sense of belonging, as if he was always meant to be sitting here watching the sunset with his best friend.  It’s a nice change from the stress he’s gotten himself into recently.  Maybe being a vampire isn’t so bad, he thinks.  After all, it’s not like any of my human family is left.  Why stay in the past when the future is so much better?  He’s back to the mindset he had before he ever met Mika, Yuu, or Tobio.

 _Speaking of which . . ._ Shouyou takes a moment to remember the tall, bitter, black-haired human.  He isn’t sure why he’s so fascinated by him other than that his eyes are one of Shouyou’s favorite colors.  They’re a darker blue than Mika’s—his eyes are violently blue—but light enough that when the light hits them, they glint.  It’s an interesting effect, and Shouyou tries to tell himself he’s only admiring the eyes because they’re a change from the constant red of the vampires.

“Actually, I came out here to ask you something,” Kenma says, jolting Shouyou from his eye contemplations.

“Yeah?”

“I don’t know if it means anything, but I was completely minding my own business when I heard some people going by.  And it was a complete coincidence that I heard your name and the phrase ‘doing something stupid.’  What did you do this time?”

Shouyou shrugs. “I can’t think of anything I did.  Why?  Who was it?”

“Who else?  Ferid Balthory.  But he was talking to Keiji, so I’m not sure if you’re in trouble.  I just thought maybe you’d gone to socialize with the livestock again.”

“One of them goes to Ferid for blood,” Shouyou mutters. “He can’t talk about breaking the rules.”

“Wait, what?” Kenma narrows his eyes. “That’s The Big Rule. Capital T-B-R.  Why would be do that?  I mean, I get that he’s a Progenitor, but they aren’t allowed to do that, either.  Or are they?”

“Don’t ask me,” Shouyou answers nervously. “I just don’t know what he’s up to, and I don’t really like it.”

“Either way, it doesn’t really matter.” Kenma twists his neck until it pops and grins sideways at Shouyou.

“Why not?!” Shouyou exclaims. “He can’t break the rules just because he’s a big fancy guy.”

“Hey, all I’m saying is that he doesn’t like what you’re up to, either.  And he’s bigger than you in basically every way.” Kenma raises a hand to hush Shouyou’s protests and slides smoothly off the wall. “I’m on your side here, okay?  Just don’t go challenging Ferid.”

“I won’t.” Shouyou grins sheepishly. “See you later.  Thanks for letting me know.”

“Yeah.” In less than three seconds, Kenma has crossed the courtyard and gone inside for the night, probably to read some more or practice his fencing.  They don’t get actual Blood Swords until they’ve become full vampires, but they’re already in training for . . .

 _For what?_ Shouyou has no idea what it is they need swords for.  It could be just that they want us to develop motor skills . . .  but there’s no reason to do that if we’re not going to be fighting. _I mean, we’re already faster and stronger than fully-grown vampires, and there probably isn’t going to be another Blood War anytime soon . . ._ He wants to read up on it, but he’ll have to do it later, when he’s sure no one will find him.  He knows that questioning the vampires is a bad idea.

Shouyou hops down from the wall and heads back to his room.

~~

“Damn!” Mika curses quietly as he hears footsteps approaching.  He’s sure Ferid can’t be back yet, but if another vampire catches him, he’s toast.  But there’s nowhere to hide except further down the hall, and if he hides down there, he’s trapped.  Hesitating, Mika shoves the map into his shirt and presses himself into the shadows under the stairs.  Maybe he’ll get lucky and the vampire won’t notice him.  Maybe he’ll be able to sneak back down and to safety before any of them notice.  Or . . .

Inside his shirt already is the gun, the cold piece of metal engineered with better precision than any human weapon.  It’s magnificently crafted, and while Mika doesn’t know much about guns, he thinks this one is particularly pretty.  He just hopes it’s deadly as well, and not just to people.  It has to be deadly enough to take out a vampire.

Holding his breath, Mika waits in agony as the steps get closer and closer until they’re literally mere centimetres away from his head.  To his relief, the vampire doesn’t notice him.  In fact, if he’s seeing things correctly, it’s Hinata again.  That orange hair is hard to miss even in low light.  Hinata looks worried about something, but Mika doesn’t have time to wonder or care about what.  As soon as Hinata’s door closes, he’s flying back down the stairs and back to the compound.  It looks like everyone’s gone to bed.

“Hey!”

Or not.

Mika looks around warily to find Tobio glaring at him. “What?”

“What were you doing out so late?” Tobio asks angrily. “Trying to get us all killed?”

“No!” Mika whispers. “We want to get out of here, don’t we?  So why don’t we just do it?”

“Because we don’t want to die,” Tobio’s cynical eye-roll is discouraging, but Mika can’t think about backing out.  Not know.  Sooner or later—probably sooner—someone’s going to notice the gun’s absence.

“Look,” Mika says, pulling the map out. “Shh!” he adds, seeing Tobio’s mouth shoot open. “It’s a map.  If we use it, we can get out of here!  What do you think?”

“I think you’re going to _die_ ,” Tobio hisses. “And if you take your family, they’re going to die, too.  Just stay here.”

“You’re the one who’s always complaining!” Mika points out. “So why don’t you take action instead of sitting around all day?”

“Well, you’re the one who keeps preaching that _it could be worse_ and stupid crap like that,” Tobio replies icily. “I’d rather complain the rest of my life than die.”

“Fine, then do it,” Mika responds, shrugging. “I’m not going to worry about it.  Do whatever you want.  But I’m getting out of here, and so are Yuu and Akane and the little ones.”

Ignoring Tobio’s _tch_ noise, Mika continues on to the little door off to the side, where he quietly makes his way down the short hallway and lights a candle.

As he hoped, Yuu is already awake when he climbs up the ladder.

“Hey, I’m home, Yuu-chan~” Mika sings calmly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no. 
> 
> Oh no.
> 
> Thunder is doing The Thing.
> 
> Yes, this fic is going on hiatus until NaNoWriMo is over! I'd love to keep writing it but I don't think I have time hehe. But I'll be back in December! Thanks for being so supportive!
> 
> ~Thunder


	9. The Choices We Make

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tobio can't bring himself to be an immoral bastard. A dangerous quest is undertaken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm alive. You can murder me for making you wait over two months. I accept my fate.

It’s darker than usual, or maybe it’s just Tobio’s eyes fooling him.  Every sound is amplified in the still night air, and he barely breathes as he listens.  _Surely they won’t . . . they’re too smart for that . . . aren’t they?_

He doesn’t know much about Mika.  But he does know Yuu, at least somewhat.  Surely the dark-haired pessimist would realize that they would be lucky to get down the corridor?  That they’ll be found, and probably killed.  All those little children . . .

 _Maybe it’s better this way_ , Tobio thinks flatly. _Maybe it’s better for them to die as rebels, as heroes, instead of slowly wasting away to the vampires’ whims.  Maybe that’s a better fate._

The prickle of unease at the base of his neck ignites as images of death arise in his mind’s eye.  The vampires cared nothing for their livestock; they’d kill Yuu, Mika, and the rest without giving it a second thought. _We really_ are _nothing to them._

“Goddammit,” Tobio curses into the uncaring dark.  He’s the only one who knows what Mika’s planning, which means he’s the only one who could stop them. 

Grumbling, Tobio sits up and squints through the blackness.  The is only a single torch lighting the small room he shares with Hisashi, Kazuhito, and several others.  If he remembers correctly, his own room is rather far from where Mika sleeps with Yuu and all those children.

He slips out of the room unnoticed and makes his way across the silent hall and finds the room he thinks is Mika’s.  Tobio knocks quietly before deciding just to go in.  Maybe he can talk some sense into Yuu even if Mika’s a hopeless case.

The door opens into a completely dark room, and Tobio doesn’t need to light the torch to know the room is completely empty.

“Dammit.”  He curses again and hesitates in the doorway on the way out.  _What am I supposed to do now?_

Tobio knows he doesn’t stand a chance against the vampires, which means that none of his friends does, either.  So the best thing would be to go back to bed and pretend he know nothing, so that if they’re questioned, he can be safe.

But on the other hand, it’s downright cruel to allow Mika and Yuu and the kids to be slaughtered without lifting a finger or saying a single word.

“Why can’t I just be a goddamn immoral bastard?!” Tobio mutters to himself as he returns to his room and lights a second torch.

Tanaka Ryuunosuke sits up. “Tobio?  What are you doing?  Taking a shit?”

Tobio freezes.  _I could lie.  I could lie and say yes, and then Mika could go on and maybe he’d make it but he probably won’t._   He curses his own humanity again before shaking his head. “Look, I need your help.”

Ryuu rubs his eyes. “Um.  With what?”

Tobio shuts the door and says in a low voice, “I think that Mika kid went off and is trying to escape with his little group.  And we have to stop them before they get anywhere, because they’re going to get themselves killed and—”

“What the _hell_ are you doing?” Another voice, the tired voice of Oikawa Tooru, cuts through the semidarkness. “Can’t you tell some people are trying to sleep?”

“Goddammit,” Tobio says. “We don’t have time for this!  We have to go find Mika—”

“Why?” Haiba Lev is awake, his eyes gleaming. “Is it like a secret mission?  Anti-Vampire League kind of stuff?”

“No!” Tobio groans. “Just . . . please help me.  I’ve never asked you bastards for anything before, now have I?”

“Um.”

“Well.”

“Actually.”

“A lot.”

The rest of his roommates are awake and mumbling vague protestations.

“But _why_?” Ryuu asks reluctantly. “It’s none of our business, and if we go out there we’ll end up dead, too.”

“Not if we catch them in time, which won’t be possible if you keep sitting around here doing nothing!”

“You didn’t answer Tanaka-san’s question,” Tooru snaps. “Why should we care?”

Tobio glares at him. “I—don’t be like them!  If we give them up for dead, it’s as bad as being a vampire!”

“I’ll go,” Kazuhito volunteers. “I don’t necessarily think it’s the best idea, but I’ll go.”

“Me too!” Lev agrees, raising his hand. “Let’s go!”

“Right.”  Tobio turns to the door, wanting so badly to see who was following but telling himself it didn’t matter. “Let’s go.”

To his relief, more than two pairs of footsteps are following him.  A small twinge of panic arises in him.  _What if we_ do _get killed?_ He thinks. _It’s going to be all my fault.  I woke them up for this.  I’m dragging them out here for this._

As if reading his thoughts, Tooru’s voice follows them out of the room. “Have fun dying!”

“Ignore him!” Lev says. “He just doesn’t have a sense of adventure.”

It’s even darker outside now, as if the world is daring Tobio to turn back, to call it off.  He’s tempted, but they’re already going; no turning back now.

There are only two main corridors leading out of the livestock place, and even though Tobio doesn’t have a map, he’s sure Mika would take the one leading west, towards the outside.  _There’s bound to be a door there, right?  Right?_

Tobio’s thoughts bounce around his head as they half-run, half-walk down the corridors, listening.  There’s no one to answer his silent pleas or soothe his doubts.  And he was already abandoned by one of his roommates.  He’d thought Tooru would support him. _When I needed you, you weren’t there,_ Tobio thinks bitterly.

Up ahead are brightly-lit corridors, and Tobio knows they don’t stand a chance there. _But I know Mika went this way.  I’m sure of it.  So where . . ._?  His eyes fall on a small rectangle in the wall.  It was probably once meant for ventilation, but that was a long time ago when humans still used these buildings.  Now it leads to the sewers.

“Through here,” Tobio directs, pulling the grate from the wall.  It’s going to be tough, but he thinks they can all fit.”

He turns, and the rest of the group is milling hesitantly a few feet away from the hole in the wall.

“Uh, Tobio?”

He snaps his gaze to Hisashi. “What?”

“I just . . . where are we going?  You never really explained.”

“We’re going to find Mika and stop him!” Tobio says loudly.  The others shush him, and he rolls his eyes. “Fine.  Whatever.  Go back to your beds.  I don’t care.”

To his relief, no one leaves, although from what he can see of their faces, they’re tempted.

It’s suspiciously quiet as they follow sewer lines continuing westward.  _Shouldn’t there be more guards?  Where are all the vampires?_

Tobio casts around for a place to hide for a moment and motions to it.  It’s a tight fit into a shadowy corner, but it’ll have to do. “Mika had a map.  And I don’t, but I think if we turn and go south a little bit we’ll reach the end of this sewer line and find where it crosses another.  That one will lead to the exit, through the back of the vampire’s building.”

The others, he can see, are thoroughly regretting coming with him, and he sighs. “Really.  If you want to go, go.”

“I think this is kind of exciting,” Lev answers. “What about you guys?”

Tobio feels a rush of gratitude; Lev is being his childish self but is still supporting him. _Goddammit Mika, if I get my hands on you, you’ll wish I’d let Krul or someone take you._

“Right.” Yake Morisuke speaks up unexpectedly. “I agree that we should head for the south exit, because that’s the one with the door leading, well, south.  And everyone knows what’s south of here.”

“Um, death?” Ryuu suggests.

“No,” Morisuke says. “The abandoned city. There’s houses and stuff there.  I’d head there, if I were them.”

Hisashi adds, “And while it’s probably really cold, they can sort of hide in there.”

“Okay, south it is!” Kazuhito takes the lead this time, and Tobio falls in just behind him.  It’s actually surprising to have them actually wanting to go. _I guess we’re all starved for something to do_.

And it’s true, at least for him.  Sitting around hating his life all day had been unsatisfying and unfulfilling.  And even though he _does_ care about Mika, Tobio starts to wonder if maybe he came just to spice up his own life a little.

The small group turns south with Kazuhito still in the lead.  He points questioningly to another grate, and Tobio nods.  As quietly as possible, they push the grate out into the fine corridor and pull themselves through.

Kazuhito winks to Hisashi and hurries forward.  Tobio winces at the sound of their footsteps, knowing that the vampires can hear them from across the building if they’re really listening.

 _But where are they?_ Surely they’d be out . . . vampires don’t sleep like humans do.  And this is close to the entrance hall, so why aren't here?

 _They're here_ , he realizes with a fearful jolt.  _They've been here all along.  They're just playing with us._ He glances back, sensing an extra presence, and a horrible squelching sound comes from in front of him.

Tobio whips around to find a smiling vampire with the remains of Kazuhito’s head in his hands.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> KILL ME I DESERVE IT
> 
> I said I'd be back in December after NaNo and here look, it's January ;_;
> 
> Please feel free to dump me in some garbage can somewhere.
> 
> But if you're still there, I have a double update for you (the next chapter is quite a doozy). And I'm going back to my weekly updates, probably.
> 
> ~Thunder


	10. And Then There Were Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Humans are dying from their foolishness, and Shouyou may be their sole hope, or so he thinks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've read the manga or seen the anime, I think you know about what to expect.
> 
> If you haven't, have fun~

_"At first there was one, sitting alone.  And then there were two, in a small little row."_

“Hey, Shouyou.  Wanna go race?”

Shouyou tilts his head at Kenma. “Sure, but uh, why?  We haven’t done that in a while.”

Kenma grins mischievously. “I know.  I’ve been practicing, and I think I can beat you now.”

Shouyou shuts the book he’s been trying to care about for the past half hour and stands. “I doubt it.  I could beat you any day.”

“What, with your short little legs?” Kenma laughs. “I’ve grown a lot more than you have these past years, that’s for sure.  I can win.”

Shouyou splutters indignantly. “Y-you—my legs aren’t that short!”  He stands, and to his dismay, Kenma is at least six centimeters taller. “When did you grow so much?!”

“You haven’t noticed?” Kenma teases. “Come on.  The moon’s out tonight.”

They stride along amiably down the corridor, and Kenma leads the way out into the northern courtyard, where the circular shape makes for a good racetrack.  Shouyou inhales the night air and sighs. _It’s going to be okay_ , he thinks. _I’ll worry about everything some more tomorrow.  Just let me have fun with my friend for a little bit._

He doesn’t even know who he’s talking to.

“Hinata-kun~” Kenma waves a hand rapidly in front of Shouyou’s face. “You there?  Or am I going to win by default because you’re staring into space?”

“Never!  One, two, three, go!” Shouyou takes off a second before Kenma, but the other boy easily overtakes him.

 _He really does have longer legs!_ Shouyou thinks despairingly.  He’s only a few paces behind, but Kenma’s lead is gaining more and more by the second. _I’m going to have to make Kiyoko wait a few extra years to convert me so I can grow more._

Kenma flashes Shouyou a triumphant look over his shoulder as they enter their second lap.  Shouyou’s legs pump harder, going too fast for a normal human to be able to see.  But Kenma’s are going just as fast and with more distance for each step.

As he runs, Shouyou breathes in more of the crisp air.  _Someday I won’t need this anymore,_ he realizes with regret. _I won’t need to worry about breathing as much.  I’ll just want blood._

_No.  I’m having fun right now._

He pushes away his negative thoughts and pushes himself to catch up.  He slowly closes the distance, and as they start their sixth lap, he’s caught up.  They’re running side by side, faster than any human and invariably slower than any vampire.

Kenma starts laughing.  Shouyou joins in, the two leaving echoes of their footsteps and laughter around the courtyard.

They run another several laps in what Shouyou estimates to be about seven kilometers before Kenma comes to a complete stop.  Shouyou crashes into him, and the two sprawl about on the cold stones, tussling and trying to pin the other down.  Shouyou starts out with the advantage, but those six centimeters must be a boost, because Kenma has him pinned against the ground in a flash.

“Okay,” Shouyou chokes. “You won!”

Kenma lets him up and laughs. “See?  Told you.  The King is dead; long live the King!” He jumps around a little before sitting on the ground.

Shouyou grins at his friend’s happiness. “We really shouldn’t have stopped doing that.”  He joins Kenma, who lays back to look at the sky. “No, we shouldn’t have.  Maybe we should do it more.”

Shouyou nods against the frigid stone and asks, “What made you think of it all of a sudden?”

Kenma rolls over halfway and raises an eyebrow. “Hinata-kun.  You don’t remember?”

“Um. . . .” Shouyou grasps around wildly within his head. “Remember what?”

“I’m just messing with you,” Kenma laughs. “You’re so uptight.  That’s kind of why.  And we’ve been kind of . . . rocky lately.  I thought maybe doing some fun stuff would help a little.”

“Yeah.  You’re right.  Hey, I’m sorry I’ve been so distracted.”  Shouyou laughs a little. “The livestock aren’t that important.”

“I’m glad you think so,” Kenma says quietly. “I was worried.  You were saying some weird stuff, and it was like you didn’t want to be m—a vampire anymore.”  He reddens slightly and lies back down flat.

“Kenma,” Shouyou says, frowning concernedly. “I’ll always be your friend, okay?  Even when we’re centuries old, I’ll be your friend.  Those livestock are nothing, I don’t care about them.”

It isn’t quite true, but Kenma relaxes. “Yeah.  I was just worried.  And I wasn’t the only one who noticed your livestock-visiting antics, either.  I thought they might punish you for that or something.  The vampires, I mean.”

Shouyou jerks his head apologetically, banging it against the corner of another stone. “I don’t think so.  Kyoko’s pretty understanding about that.”

“It wasn’t just her.” Kenma says, shifting slightly.

Something about his tone sends a thrill of fear down Shouyou’s spine.  He sits up to look down at Kenma. “What’s wrong?  Did they say they were going to do something?”

“Nothing,” Kenma says. “You’re safe, okay?”

They hold each other’s gaze for another two heartbeats before Shouyou shakes his head. “What aren’t you telling me?”

Kenma sits up, too, turning away from Shouyou. “I’m sorry,” he says in a small voice. “I’m still your friend, okay?  I really really care about you.”

 _“What aren’t you telling me, Kenma?”_ Shouyou nearly shouts.  The warm feeling he’d had just a few moments ago is gone, replaced by icy hurt and confusion. “You’re hiding something, I know it!”

Kenma exhales loudly. “Can’t we just have a little fun for a while?”

Shouyou goes through the events of the night. “You’re a distraction,” he realizes. “ _They_ put you up to this, you didn’t even want to spend time with me at all!”

“No!” Kenma stands up, staring at Shouyou beseechingly. “That’s not true!  I _do_ want to spend time with you!  We’re friends, aren’t we?”

“Yeah, you say that,” Shouyou says angrily, “but you didn’t deny it, did you?  They sent you here!  Why?”  He climbs to his feet and is increasingly frustrated by the six centimeters.

“I don’t know, okay?” Kenma says, hurt palpable in his voice. “Kiyoko-sama came to my room and asked me if I could keep you busy in the northern courtyard for a while.  And we haven’t done anything much in a while, so I did it.”

Shouyou reels, and Kenma catches him.  Righting himself, Shouyou begins running again, this time towards the south. “Something’s happening!” he shouts over his shoulder. “Something they don’t want me to see!”

“Wait!  Shouyou!”

Ignoring his traitorous friend, Shouyou races through the building, grinding to a halt as he hears the cruelly amused voice not of Lord Ferid Balthory.

 “ . . . I really want to hear how you scream when you’re trapped between hope and desperation.”  Ferid is gloating, and Shouyou peers around the corner, flitting quickly to hide behind a column.  He presses his back to it and listens, trying to figure out how many of the livestock Ferid is talking to.

Ferid is taunting them with promises of escape, and Shouyou reconizes Mika’s scent, as well as several other vaguely familiar ones.  A great many of the others are the scents of children. _What are you doing here?!_ He thinks, his heart pounding. 

Then, the slightest scent.  Shouyou inhales deeply and catches it again, stronger this time.  Movement in the corner of his eye catches his attention.

 _“Tobi?!”_   He flits back to the corner to find a small group of defiant humans, with Tobi in the lead.

The thick aroma of human blood fills his nostrils, and Shouyou is filled with sudden thirst which fades as he takes in the scene before him.

Another of Tobi’s friends is gripping the body of another human, who Shouyou can’t identify due to the fact that its head has been completely severed from it.  “Wh-what—?”

Tobi’s eyes are alight with hatred. “If you don’t get out of our way,” he growls. “We’ll hurt you.  We can’t kill you, but we’ll hurt you so badly you can’t follow us.  Don’t believe me?  Go find your friend back there, the one who killed Kazuhito.”

The boy carrying the body lets out a moan of pain as Tobi says the words, and Shouyou shakes his head, feeling ill. “I didn’t know, they had me distracted, please—”

“I don’t want your bullshit!” Tobi snaps. “Move, or we attack you.  Your vampire friend had this sword, and I’m sure it would work on you.”

He draws the sword, and Shouyou can instantly tell Tobi knows nothing about swords at all. “I don’t want to hurt you,” Shouyou hears himself say. “I just don’t want you to get hurt.  Go away.  Go back and—”

“No!”

“Hisashi, shut up,” Tobi growls through gritted teeth, but Hisashi shakes his head again.

“No.” Carefully putting Kazuhito’s mutilated corpse on the floor, Hisashi marches up to Shouyou and takes the sword from Tobi. “Th-they killed Kazuhito.  I’ll kill them.  I’ll kill all of them!”

Shouyou’s eyes go from the body to Hisashi to Tobi and back to the body. “You . . . you loved him?”

“Damn right.”  Hisashi flicks the sword up to Shouyou’s throat. “And I’m going to kill you now.”

“Don’t,” Shouyou says, knowing he could easily kill all of them if he really wanted to. “Just let me help you.”

“I don’t trust you,” Hisashi hisses.

Tobi smacks him on the head and grabs the sword back. “Don’t be an idiot.  Shouyou wants to help, why not let him?  Maybe they’ll kill him and we can escape.”

 _So kind of you_ , Shouyou thinks but merely nods.

The hate fades from Hisashi’s eyes with anguish replacing it. “How can I go on like this?” he murmurs, stealing another forlorn glance at Kazuhito’s corpse.

Shouyou shakes his head for the thousandth time and says, “I’ll deal with Ferid, and you can run to the door.  A  little ways past that, there’s an old city.”

“What about the plague?” asks someone else, and Tobi rolls his eyes.

“There isn’t a plague,” Shouyou says.

“It was just another lie,” Tobi adds flatly, and Shouyou has no defense. “I bet the city’s not even abandoned.”

“Leave him,” Shouyou tells Hisashi, who is leaning down to pick up Kazuhito. “You can’t carry a body with you.  They can already smell you; don’t make it worse.”

“I hate you,” Hisashi says evenly. “I hate all of you.”

“Okay.” Shouyou can’t think of anything else to say. “I’ll go deal with Ferid.”

“Here, take this sword.” Tobi tries to hand him the blade, but Shouyou snorts.

“I can’t use that,” he says. “It’s too big.  That’s also why you can’t use it.  I have my own.  When I jump at him, you sprint for the door.  Don’t look back, okay?”

The others nod miserably, but before Shouyou can make a move, a gunshot goes off.  Tobi and the other humans flatten themselves against the wall, but Shouyou recognizes that sound.  It’s the sound of a special weapon, one the humans shouldn’t have.

The grisly scene in the entrance hall shocks him.  Even though he knew it would happen, seeing the mangled bodies of the children makes their deaths seem more real, as if they hadn’t been assured from the start.

“Come on out!” the angry one, Yuu, shouts. “I’m not afraid of you!”

“I’m not here to hurt you!” Shouyou replies, waving his hand to urge Tobi and the others forward. “You all have to get out of here, before—”

“Shouyou!”

Kenma bursts through a set of doors to the side. “They’re coming, you have to—”

“AHHHHHH!”’

Screaming in pain and anger, Hisashi leaps at Kenma, who raises an eyebrow almost contemptuously.

“Hisashi, no!” Shouyou and Tobi shout, but it’s too late.

Kenma’s reflexes are twice as fast as Hisashi’s, and in the few seconds it takes for him to reach Kenma, the fledging vampire has already drawn his sword, his eyes narrowing.  Shouyou jolts into action, but he’s too far away, and Kenma’s sword glints as he swipes it horizontally.  A gash opens in Hisashi’s chest that Shouyou instantly knows is fatal.

“Don’t attack!” Shouyou shouts, his voice cracking. “This is Kenma, he’s my friend—”

“And he just killed _my_ friend!” Tobi’s voice is comically high-pitched as he screams. “That’s the second friend I’ve watched die tonight and it’s my fault, Tooru was right!”

This makes no sense to Shouyou, who turns his head to look at Kenma, Tobi, and Yuu in turn.  Yuu raises the gun as Shouyou’s gaze falls on him. “I’ll shoot you _and_ your friend.”

“Get out of here,” Kenma orders in a low voice, casting a confused look at the dying Hisashi. “Krul’s coming.”

Tobi’s eyes snap to Shouyou’s, and in them he can see desperation, pain, fury, and something else he can’t quiet place.  It might be gratitude.  Tobi’s group, obviously shaken, begins sprinting towards the door.

Yuu drops the gun and grabs at Mika, who Shouyou notices for the first time.  The once-cheerful blond is lying in a puddle of his own dark blood.  He looks oddly misshapen, and it takes a moment for Shouyou to realize he’s missing an arm. _Ferid’s work_ , he realizes.

Footsteps clatter from behind them, and Mika makes an enormous effort to push Yuu off him.  Sobbing, Yuu stumbles to his feet and begins to hurry towards that freedom, that terribly costly freedom, where Tobi is holding the door. “Come on!” he snaps at Yuu, who pushes past him howling his misery.

The door clangs shut as Krul bursts into the room, followed by Kiyoko and a few others.  Shouyou avoids his sire’s gaze as the queen stands over Hisashi’s form. “Already dead,” she declares blandly.  Striding over to Mika, her scarlet eyes glitter.

“Tell me, human.  Would you like to live?  I can give you life.  An eternal life.”

Mika, nearly dead from blood loss, manages a weak, “No.”

Shouyou and Kenma are rooted to the spot.  _Could it be . . . ?_ They exchange wide-eyed glances.

“I see.  You don’t want to live,” Krul remarks indifferently. Biting her lip to draw blood, she kneels down. “But I’m afraid you have no choice.”

Kenma and Shouyou inadvertently let out gasps as she says, “Drink my blood, and cast away your humanity.”

Unbidden, the book he had been trying to read resurfaces in Shouyou’s mind.  A single line plasters itself to his eyes.

_And then there were three._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really am sorry about this taking so long. But it won't anymore, I promise.
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> -Thunder


	11. Four Years Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Four years after the Grand Escape, both Shouyou and Tobio are still left with doubts about what happened.

Shouyou is too slow to block the blow, and his sword twists out of his hand.  His opponent’s sword flicks up to his throat. “That was really good,” he says, rubbing his wrist. “You’re pretty strong for a four-year-old.”

Kenma laughs from the side. “It’s because he has Krul’s blood.  So he gets some of her strength.”

Silently, Mika watches their exchange.  It’s been exactly four years today since the rest of his friends escaped, and the pale blond fledging hasn’t spoken a word to them.  He sometimes talks to Krul and even Ferid, but he refuses to speak to anyone else. 

It makes Shouyou nervous, as if Mika’s secretly planning to murder everyone in the compound.  He couldn’t, of course, but something in that blank blue gaze sends shivers down Shouyou’s spine. “Do you want to try again?” he asks.

Mika nods, his sword already in a defensive stance.  Shouyou has to admit, even if it _is_ just Krul’s blood, Mika is almost a natural with his sword.  He rarely, if ever, falters.  Or if he does, he’s just really good at improvising.  Shouyou’s never noticed him slip up.

Right as Shouyou has about figured out where he wants to aim, Mika sheathes his sword, his gaze focused behind Shouyou.  The latter turns to find Krul approaching, amused grin lingering on her lips.

“Krul-sama,” Shouyou and Kenma say, bowing.

“What, aren’t you going to greet me, Mika?” she asks, her eyes glittering.  “I came here specifically to watch you spar.  I hear you’re quite good.”

“I have excellent teachers,” Mika responds flatly.

Shouyou is surprised at the complement.  He and Kenma had thought Mika completely disregarded their training. _It could be that he’s just saying that because Krul’s here_ , Shouyou thinks.

“So I see.”  The queen’s eyes drift over Kenma and Shouyou. “You’re Ittetsu’s and Kiyoko’s, yes?”

“Yes, Krul-sama,” the two reply politely.  Shouyou’s never had anything to do with the queen, so to have her speaking directly to him is a bit daunting. _How does Mika go to her every five days?  I don’t think I could do this again for about three years._

“Very well.  So.  I want you to fight him.”  She inclines her head toward her fledgling, whose eyes widen slightly.

“Two at once?” Kenma asks carefully.

“Of course.” Krul crosses her arms and stands just outside the fencing area. “Go on.  Attack him.  I want to see his prowess for myself.”  She lets out a quick patronizing laugh.

Kenma narrows his eyes almost imperceptibly at Shouyou and then flicks his eyes at Mika.  Understanding, Shouyou blinks. _It’ll look bad if he loses.  But I think even if we tried our hardest he could win._

The three of them bow before Shouyou and Kenma lunge to opposite sides, using a tactic they haven’t yet taught Mika.  Unperturbed, the blond rolls left to avoid Kenma and brings his sword up to block Shouyou.  The vibration from their swords colliding sends a shock up Shouyou’s arm.  He allows the momentum to push his sword point to the ground, by Mika’s leg, and attempts to swipe up at it.  Mika side-stepps it, flicking away Kenma’s next attack without even looking and then taking a few steps backward to watch both of them.

Shouyou and Kenma have a brief, silent exchange before using their top speeds to attack.  Mika’s expression does not change as he mutters to his own blade, which sprouts spikes as he slashes it horizontally, parrying Shouyou and then Kenma in one fell swoop.  Before Shouyou can clamber back to his feet, Mika sends Shouyou’s sword spinning away before flitting to defeat Kenma.

The entire fight had lasted a mere three minutes. Shouyou picks himself up, glancing at the Queen.

Mika bows to his defeated opponents and begins to walk away.

“Thank you,” Krul says graciously to the two before following her protégé.

Shouyou rubs his wrist, which is beginning to ache in earnest, and groans. “That was a bit . . .”

“Embarrassing?” Kenma finishes.

“Yeah.”  The two sheathe their blades and stride along in the opposite direction that Mika and Krul took. 

The sun is thankfully hidden by a layer of dark clouds; lately, Shouyou’s skin has been more and more sensitive to its relentless rays.  A cool breeze wafts through the courtyard, sending Kenma’s hair fluttering into his eyes.  Pushing it out of the way, Kenma mutters, “He’s completely miserable.”

 _I can’t blame him,_ Shouyou thinks, biting his tongue.  He doesn’t want to have anything more to do with the livestock; he’d learned his lesson.  It had taken many days of stressful lying to convince Ferid, Kiyoko, Ittetsu, and Krul that they’d been trying to stop the livestock rather than help them.  And even then, Shouyou knows Ferid knows the truth.  That the noble says nothing unnerves him; wouldn’t Ferid be gloating about it?  _It’s because of Mika._  Shouyou nods absently.  Ferid is one of the few vampires Mika will talk to.  It makes Shouyou uneasy; what is Ferid filling Mika’s head with? 

They walk another few meters before Shouyou realizes Kenma is waiting for an answer. “I think he just hasn’t gotten used to this life yet.  He’ll come ‘round.”

Kenma shrugs. “I can’t say I like him very much.  He’s a downer.  But it doesn’t matter.”

“Someday we’ll be centuries old, and he’ll be a lot more cheerful. . . .” Shouyou can’t really imagine being centuries old, but he knows it’s going to happen.  As long as he takes care of himself, that is.  He recalls Kiyoko warning him about how painful it is to become a demon and shudders.

 

Far outside the vampire stronghold and across the city, Tobio slashes furiously at a foam dummy with short swords.  Perspiration drips from his forehead and down his face and neck, but he doesn’t stop until he’s shredded the dummy, leaving chunks of bright pink scattered around him.  Panting, he abruptly snaps his head around to glare at the amused Lev observing on the side. “The hell do you want?”

“Your arms were a blur!” Lev replies, applauding.  His eyes are bright as he adds, “One moment the enemy was there and then BOOM—dead!”

Tobio snorts. “Vampires don’t die, remember?  They just . . . become even more monstrous than they already are.”  He kneels down to begin cleaning up the foam fragments before Lev hands him a broom.

“I know vampires are disgusting bastards,” says Lev cheerfully, “and I know we have to kill off most of them or whatever, but hey, there were those two that helped us, right?”  He holds the dustpan so that Tobio can sweep the dummy remains into them.

“They got Hisashi killed,” Tobio replies flatly, but even he can admit that Hisashi’s thoughtless behavior was probably a key factor in his death. _It’s my fault you’re dead_ , he admits silently. _If I’d let Mika be an idiot on his own, we might all still be alive._ He finds himself wondering for the umpteenth time what happened to Tooru.  Four years is a long time to live with vampires, if they haven’t killed him already. “He had the right idea, staying behind.”

“Who?  Tooru?”

Unaware that he’d spoken aloud, Tobio starts. “Uh.  Yeah.”

“I like it better here than there,” Lev says, hanging the dustpan back up on the wall. “I dunno about you but hey, the food here is way better than the shit they gave us back there.  Just saying.  Take my opinion with a grain of salt.”

He leaves, and Tobio is left alone, the broom still clutched in his hands.  “Why did you do it?” he snarls at the broom. “Why did you keep coming back, what is your problem?!”  The broom doesn’t answer.  Tobio leans against the wall, the broom beside him.  His fingers drumming on his thigh, he considers the upcoming day.  The day he and a few others from his class will be tested to see if they’re fit to handle Cursed Gear.  He was told he isn’t strong enough for a Black Demon weapon, but he hopes at least for a Dakini.  _I am stronger than a demon,_ Tobio reminds himself.

_I am stronger than a vampire._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I admit this is kind of a boring filler chapter after the excitement of the past few, but more is to come!
> 
> (I'm taking my finals this week, please have mercy on my soul)
> 
> ~Thunder


	12. Jigoku

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tobio makes a contract with a demon.

“It’s too damn cold,” Tobio hisses, crossing his arms in displeasure.  The mist swirls around him like mercury, and he’s reluctant to breathe it in.  When he does, however, nothing seems to change.  There isn’t a tangible light source, just a bland and unwavering light from the mist itself.  Tobio tentatively stretches out a hand to touch it.  “This isn’t real shit; it can’t hurt me.”

“Maybe it can.” A cutting voice echoes around the mist, leaving Tobio on edge.

The mist vanishes, leaving a lone figure standing in front of a set of glass doors.  Tobio frowns. “Aren’t you dead?”  He can’t help his voice, which is wavering.

“I could ask you the same thing; in fact, I was going to,” Oikawa Tooru says flatly. “After you left and neither you or that fool came back, what else could I think?  You went traipsing off after him, and everyone else went with you.”  He raises an eyebrow condescendingly. “Pity it did them no good.”

The doors swing open, and a pair of boys holding hands come out to stand by Tooru.  Looking much more tired than when Tobio last saw him, Kazuhito smiles. “Hi there, Kageyama.”

Hisashi winks. “He got his head back, as you can see.”

“Although, it _is_ your fault that I lost it,” Kazuhito reasons. “But I’m trying not to be mad about it.  I thought we were saving Mika and his friends.  I guess I was the idiot for agreeing to come with you in the first place.”

“I warned you,” Tooru adds. “Didn’t I?  Why is it that you escaped but not Mika?  Where is he now?”

Before Tobio can answer, Hisashi interrupts, “Dead, because of you.  Just like us.”  His eyes wide, Hisashi tilts his head.

Tobio swallows. “It wasn’t my fault that Mika died.”  Even as he says it, doubt poisons his veins.

“If you had been faster, maybe we all would have made it!” Kazuhito points out. “You hesitated, remember?  Remember how you almost ditched him altogether?  I suppose that would have been better for me, seeing as I would have lived a bit longer.”

“Fuck you,” Tobio mutters.  As he says it, a shaft of sunlight cuts through the stillness, illuminating the doors behind the three boys.  Hanging above the doors is a wooden sign with the words, “Kitagawa Daiichi” painted on it in red.

Tobio takes a step back. “What is this?” 

But he knows, of course.  Kitagawa Daiichi, otherwise known as hell.  The three step aside slightly, gesturing for Tobio to enter.  Unwillingly, he pulls open the left door and stands in the foyer.  He has not been here in years, yet it looks the same as when he left it.  Not that he chose to leave it, though Tobio suspects he would have run away had the vampires not come.

He begins walking in a trance-like state as suppressed memories surge to the forefront of his mind.  There was the mess hall, the showers, the pool.  There were the stairs and the old elevators.  Tobio finds himself shaking his head as he goes.  He might have grown up here, but this isn’t his home.

~*~

_“Worthless brats, always taking all the food!  Don’t you understand that you’d be starving and dead if it weren’t for me?!”_

_“Please, we didn’t have enough breakfast, and some of us didn’t get any at all—”_

_“Quit your whining!  What do you do to contribute to the world?  Nothing at all!  You’re lucky we didn’t just leave you lying on the streets!  Now go on, get out of here.  And your entire wing is stripped of breakfast privileges for a week!  Maybe that’ll teach you not to ask for more.”_

_“That’s not fair, it was my idea!  Let them eat, they—”_

_“And what is your name, you insolent little brat?”_

_“Ha-Hajime.”_

_“I see.  Why don’t you come along with me, and we’ll have a chat.”_

_“No!  Iwa-chan, don’t go, please, she’ll probably kill you or something. . . .”_

_“It’s okay, Tooru-chan.  Just stay here and don’t do anything stupid.”_

~*~

“So you _do_ remember.”  Tooru’s patronizing voice cuts through Tobio’s brain, jarring it. “Did you know: everyone there died except you and me.  I did some investigating after you left, just to see.”

“That was the vampires, not me.”  Tobio turns and begins walking away. _There’s got to be a way out, right?_ “I’m not interested in talking anymore.”

“That’s your second mistake.”  The combined voices of Hisashi, Kazuhito, and Tooru begin laughing.  Spikes of shadowy nothingness pierce up through the ground, halting Tobio in his tracks. “You should never, ever turn your back on a demon.”

A shadowy form erupts from the spikes, with no discernible features other than a set of cruel, yellow eyes.  “I’ve seen everything you wish for, and it looks like you have quite a temper problem.”  Cold pain radiates from Tobio’s joints, and he falls to his knees, cursing.

Curling his hands into fists, Tobio snarls, “That was a long time ago.”  He feels his nails cutting open his palm.

“That was four years ago,” the demon corrects. “And still, who can you say was ever your _friend_?”

Drawing himself up to his full height, Tobio meets the glowing ochre eyes. “I came here with friends.  And yeah, some of them died on the way, but some of us made it.  Now I’m here with you, and you’re going to make a contract with me.”  He pours as much contempt into his voice as he can manage, which is disappointingly less than usual.

“Well, well, well,” the demon chuckles. “I can see you’ve earned your title, _King_.  Do you ever think that perhaps others don’t want to do your bidding?” 

When there is no response, the demon laughs.  The shadows making up its form swell, then contract, settling into the body of a young girl.  Her hair is violently red, and she pushes it out of her eyes before extending a hand to Tobio. “You’ve got grit, I’ll give you that.  And if you continue to have grit, we can make a contract.”

“Agreed.”  Tobio shakes her hand, which is uncomfortably warm.

“Just remember,” she says with a radiant smile, “if you ever stop having grit, I get to consume you!”

“Okay.”  Tobio shrugs. “I can live with that.”

“Or you’ll die with it,” she says, licking her lips. “But the contract is made.  Whenever you want to use my power, just call me by my name, Jigoku.”

Tobio nods. “Jigoku.”

She smiles again, pointed incisors gleaming, and he jolts awake.

 

“Oh good,” Lev says, his upside-down face smiling above Tobio. “We were a little afraid you were going to die.  You look a while.”

Tobio stands and examines the two-handed sword.  Ornate writing in some ancient form of Kanji spirals around the hilt, which ends in an obsidian stone on the pommel.  The fuller is a lighter silver than the edge, and as Tobio swings it upward, a dark sigh emanates from it. “I have formed a contract with Jigoku.”

“Very good,” comes the bored voice of their supervisor, Major Sawamura Daichi. “We’ll give you exactly 30 days to undergo acclimation training before sending you into actual combat.  Run along now, and don’t kill anyone.  That would be illegal.”

Ryuu leads the way out with his own longbow.  As they file past Major Daichi, Tobio sheathes his sword. 

_I’m coming for you, vampires._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is a two-handed sword realistic? I thought he could handle one because he's tall.


	13. City of Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The vampires are launching their attack on the remnants of humanity, but Shouyou is given his own task.

Kiyoko grabs Shouyou’s arm silently, tugging gently on it. “Come,” she breathes into his ear.  Shouyou swallows. Did Krul tell her something? Did Mika complain about him and Kenma? The dark grey light streaming through the window tells him the sun has not yet risen, and since Kiyoko generally ignores him on a day-to-day basis, Shouyou is apprehensive. He doesn’t know how much she knows about his role in the livestock escape. Mika wouldn’t give me away, would he? The thing is, he’s not sure. Mika’s stoic silence is quite a conversation killer.

Shouyou knows Krul took some hits from various progenitors when she took Mika as her fledgling. They said she shouldn’t have rewarded his insolence and defiance with the prestigious life of a vampire. Mika would probably rather be dead, Shouyou thinks as he follows Kiyoko down the hall and past her own quarters. Her feet make no noise on the carpeted floor, nor on the stone steps at the end. He must be making so much noise compared to her, but she says nothing, simply hurrying on.  Shouyou wants to ask where they’re going, although that would probably just make her angry.

She hurries on outside, slipping quietly out the door and holding it for him so that she can cloae it noiselessly behind him. They break into a full sprint and head across the courtyard, aiming for the very place Kenma had taken him to distract him four years ago. Is she going to tell me off for helping them? He wonders. What excuse do I have? I told her I was proud to be a vampire, but what will she think now? What if she doesn’t believe me?

The problem is that ever since Tobio and the others had escaped, Shouyou has felt oddly restless. Like he wants to up and leave, maybe run away to see what else there might be in the world. The vampires always taught him that there is nothing outside Japan, but there has to be something across the sea, hasn’t there? He could be restless  because of his warring cells, but somehow it doesn’t feel like that. Shouyou knows from experience that vampire pain is more like an intense need, as if all the blood in the world could not slake his thirst. That pain is terrible, but somehow the longing to run away is worse. He can never fulfil that need. Right now he’s dependent upon Kiyoko for blood, and when he becomes  a full vampire, he’ll be expected to contribute to vampire society. That means reading and writing scholarly articles and conducting experiments. Learning about quarks and leptons and moving them around to create new things. Humans had only ever tapped the very surface of nuclear power. They are too susceptible to harmful radiation, but even gamma waves can’t hurt vampires.

A thought occurs to Shouyou, and he almost asks it aloud before realizing Kiyoko wouldn’t much like it. But if gamma rays and radiation can’t hurt vampires, how is it that the Demon Particles (or Cursed Gear, as the humans call it) are able to so easily dispatch vampires? What is in those Particles that hurts vampires so badly? Shouyou is tempted to say it comes from  some form of magic, but he knows therre is no such thing. All “magic” is simply science beyond one’s understanding. Like vampires’ ability to rapidly regenerate lost limbs. And yet somehow, those limbs are too weak against Demon Particles. If I knew how those Particles worked, maybe I could find a way to fight them, he thinks. The blood swords of the demons are strong, but could they be fortified to protect against the Particles?

“Hinata.” Kiyoko’s voice interrupts his wonderings, and nods to show her he’s listening. “Queen Krul  has declared war on the Remainder. She means to send out our forces to eradicate them.”

Shouyou swallows. The Remainder is the few humans who were left when their societies were razed. But so far the vampires have been unable to attack them because of their weapons. Somehow they discovered how to use the Particles in weapons. “I thought Queen Krul was against attacking humans.”

“No vampire values human life,” Kiyoko says quietly. “Humans are disgusting creatures who ruined the planet with their fossil fuels and dumped waste in their rivers and bombed each other into the ground. They would have perished quickly even if we had not emerged to assert our rightful places on this planet.” She’s staring off into space now, and Shouyou isn’t sure if she’s talking to him directly or just reciting a history book. He’s sure he’s heard those words before, but he can’t quite remember where. “Humans are nothing. That is what I have always taught you, and for a while, I thought you believed it.”

This is about Tobio, Shouyou realizes with a fearful jolt. She knows, and now she’s here to lecture me before she punishes me. But then why tell me about the attack? “I do,” he says carefully. “I was 12 then, just a foolish child. I understand that the humans are just livestock and worthless and—”

“I must have forgotten,” she goes on, staring at him. “You were human once. You still are, in some ways. You understand humans. You care for them, perhaps because you were one.” Kiyoko runs her tongue over her teeth and tilts her head to squint at him. Shouyou is nervous, but what scares him more than the prospect of being chewed out is the fear in her own eyes. “I am a good vampire,” Kiyoko goes on. “And I have tried to mold you into one, too, because . . . But I don’t think this can go on.”

“What are you saying?” Shouyou knows it’s not polite to interrupt her, but the other vampires will likely be emerging from their own quarters soon, and it sounds like she wants to say something important. “I can fight.  I’ll  be loyal to the vampires.  I promise, I won’t do anything stupid or dumb and I’ll listen to your orders and everything—”

Kiyoko shakes her head. “No.  Shouyou, politics is a complex thing, and it’s hard to explain it, but the Queen wants something and thinks you might be able to help get it.”

At this unexpected news, Shouyou bites his bottom lip. “Er.”  What could he possibly get that Queen Krul couldn’t?  She had access to everything, and anything she was denied she could probably fight for.  Shouyou remembers her doing just that a few times.  _Could it be something to do with humans?  Is that why Kiyoko is suddenly talking about them?  But what humanly thing is there that Queen Krul can’t just take?_   It could be something with his blood, but Shouyou doubts it.  The Queen could have just asked for his blood directly, without needing Kiyoko to deliver the clandestine message just before dawn.  Or dawn, rather, since a sliver of golden sun has already risen in the time Kiyoko was talking.  It hurts his eyes to look at, and Shouyou turns away.

“What is it?” he finally asks, because Kiyoko seems to be lost in her own thoughts.

“The livestock you helped escape several years ago,” Kiyoko says flatly.  She doesn’t sound angry. “He hoped that Kenma could keep you distracted long enough, but of course he was wrong.”

“ _He_?” Shouyou suspects he knows who Kiyoko is referring to, but jumping to conclusions has gotten him into trouble plenty of times in the past.  “You mean Lord Ferid?”

“Given the chance, I think he would kill the Queen and take her place,” Kiyoko mutters restlessly. “But as of now, she has enough power and backing that she’s safe from most scrutiny.”  Kiyoko’s words speed up, and she lowers her voice even more. “There exists a small part of the human genome that, if edited slightly, opens a new power within them.  Several years ago, the humans themselves realized this and began trying to exploit it.  The most prominent of the places experimenting in this . . . seraph . . . were the Kitagawa Daiichi sector, the Hyakuya sector, and the Karasuno sector.  Two of them are gone now, although I’m sure you recognize one.”

 _Mika?_ Shouyou recalls the blond’s surname but doesn’t understand how it ties in with what Kiyoko is saying. “What’s a seraph?”

“Seraphs are . . . difficult,” Kiyoko says unhelpfully. “But the Queen kept Mika alive partly because of his seraph gene.  She wants to find the others, the ones who escaped.  Mika’s black-haired friend is one, and so is that one that you kept talking to.”

Hanging his head, Shouyou avoids her gaze.  He should have known she knew, but somehow her bringing it up so casually makes him feel as if she’s been holding out his punishment and is about to spring it upon him.

“Queen Krul was supposed to dispose of the seraphs, because even we vampires do not understand them.  But instead she housed them right in her own dominion, and Lord Ferid discovered it.  He’s been holding it over her head for a while now. 

“But that’s beside the point.  Krul doesn’t like when her things get away from her.  She’s sending Mika after the other one, and she wants you to get the one you’re familiar with.”

“Tobio?”

“If that’s his name,” Kiyoko says dismissively. “I couldn’t care less, but it’s been assigned to you, and as your sire I am partially responsible.  If you fail, it reflects badly on both of us.  Do you understand?”

“Yes.”  Shouyou feels as if they’re just getting to the point of the conversation and is anxious to hurry it along.  Somehow he suspects Ferid—and a few others—wouldn’t be happy with this secret mission of his. _What if they try to stop me?  I couldn’t possibly fight Ferid off.  Do I lie and say I was trying to sneak off?  This isn’t a very well thought-out plan!_

Kiyoko hands him a small case. “In there are five syringes filled with my blood.  Each one lasts for about a week if you’re careful with them.  So you have about five weeks to find the target and bring them to Krul’s secret compound.  It can be found just outside Sanguinem, in an old livestock bakery.  You’ll know it’s hers because it will have the words _cold blood_ on it.  Do you understand?”

 _No,_ Shouyou thinks while nodding. “I’ll do it.”

“The attack commences later today,” Kiyoko says, standing. “You will report to duty as planned, but remember that when we get into the livestock city, you have a job to do, as does Mika.”

She turns to leave, and Shouyou grabs her arm.  It’s a risky move, but he’s in an oddly reckless mood. “Does Kenma know?”

Kiyoko raises an eyebrow. “He’s not on your side.  Try to remember that.”  She shakes him off impatiently. “Get your sword and come to my quarters.”

Shouyou is left with a sinking feeling as she leaves.  He follows slowly, wondering how on earth he’s going to lie to Kenma. “All this time we’ve been saying we’ll go into battle together, if that’s what it came to,” he tells the unfeeling stones beneath his feet. “How am I going to tell him that I have somewhere else to be without telling him what’s happening?”  The stones offer no answer, and already he’s back among vampires.  He has an excellently blank expression, but who knows, maybe they can tell.  Most of the ones he’s seeing have donned more battle-ready gear and have their blood swords with them.

His own is waiting patiently for him in his room, and Krul’s face flashes in front of his eyes as he remembers her observing their sparring round.  Had she known then what she wanted him to do?  Or was it later that she realized he was the traitor.  _How does she know she can trust me?_   But she doesn’t have to, he reminds himself.  So long as he remains like this, he’s bound to Kiyoko.  He has to come crawling back to her at some point, or he’ll end up becoming a demon.  _That’s how she’s keeping me in line.  And Mika, too.  Neither of us can leave the vampires unless we drink human blood._ Attachment to humans aside, being stuck in the pubescent body he’s right now is not a delightful prospect.  Shouyou admits to himself that he would drink human blood, but only if it was absolutely necessary.  Being a teenager forever would be depressing.

Kiyoko meets him with a neutral expression as he joins her.  Some other vampire is shouting at them to get into a helicraft, and surprise!  They end up in the same one as Mika.  To Shouyou’s alarm, however, Ferid slips into the seat behind the blond. “Mika~,” he says cheerfully. “Ready to go prove your prowess?  I’ll be watching you _very_ closely.”

Mika stares woodenly out the window, ignoring the noble.  Kiyoko casts a warning glance at Shouyou before directing her own gaze ahead, towards the human city.  _I wish Kenma was here,_ Shouyou thinks regretfully. _I don’t know what Kiyoko means when she says he’s not on my side, but he’s my friend.  We’ve been friends for a long time, I’m sure I could trust him with this._

The rest of the ride proceeds with icy silence.  Altogether, though, it’s too short for Shouyou’s liking, and before long the helicraft has landed in the middle of an old livestock street.  At one point, it might have been some sort of tourist trap.  Shops with window advertisements tell stories of strange trinkets and amulets inside.  The street itself was dainty at one point; Shouyou can see where there were once electric livestock lights and elegant metal benches.  Now it’s littered with rubble and old remains of humans and animals, but Shouyou can’t help wondering what it was like many years ago, when it was beautiful.

“No doubt the humans have their own weapons!” comes the sudden cry from ahead.  Crowley is speaking, with Chess and Horn nearby as always. “But still they are weak, and it will be a simple matter of cleaning up that we have here.”  He begins issuing various orders, and groups of fighters split to go to their own destinations.  Mika slips away quietly, and Shouyou is about to follow when he sees Ferid glance around before going after the fledgling.  Troubled, Shouyou hesitates.

An arm falls on his shoulder. “Well, are you ready?” Kenma asks, his eyes bright with uncharacteristic eagerness. “We’re going to fight!  For real!”

“Yeah!” Shouyou forces a smile and lays a hand on the hilt of his sword. “Time to see if that training paid off!”  _How can I get rid of him now?!_

“C’mon, let’s go,” Kenma says, gesturing towards a road leading towards the heart of the city. “They don’t care where we go because we’re not full vampires yet.  But let’s go see anyway!  If we do well they might actually start to respect us.”

“Okay.” Shouyou hopes he can sneak away later, but for now, why not just go with Kenma?  _I’ll just fight with him for a little and the leave.  He’ll probably just think I went off fighting someone or something.  It’s going to be fine._

Kenma takes the lead, sword drawn, as they hurry down into the city.  As they get closer to the center, it gets a little more hospitable.  It’s clear the humans have been making efforts to restore it, or at least clear out some of the remains from before.  Shouyou can’t imagine how they managed to rebuild so close to a vampire stronghold, but maybe it’s their special weapons. 

The foul stench of human hits their noses, and the two stop, their swords at the ready.  A group of humans, each with their own bizarre weapon, jumps out from behind a group of stone columns, each shouting something intelligible.  Kenma laughs and veers left, leaving Shouyou to gape at the figure sprinting at him. “Oh shit,” he mutters before Tobio is upon him, summoning his own demon.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no excuses anymore, really.


	14. In a Cell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Shouyou is confused

Shouyou sighs before flitting out of the way.  To his dismay, the billowing black cloud around Tobio follows him. It’s obviously a demon, which means if it gets to him . . .Well, that would hurt.  _Nothing more needs to be said about that,_ Shouyou thinks, trying to make eye contact with Tobio.  It’s difficult because it’s been quite a long time since they even saw each other.  Shouyou’s grown a bit, although Tobio still towers over him. “This is ridiculous,” Shouyou mutters to himself as he dodges the demon again. Putting on an extra spurt of speed, he comes up behind Tobio and grabs his shoulder.

Tobio’s reflexes are unfortunately faster than Shouyou was expecting.  He swerves in time to avoid being beheaded but feels the cold demon blade pierce his upper left arm, leaving it completely numb. “You dumb fuck!” He shouts, stumbling away and frantically massaging his arm. _Please don’t be infected, please don’t be infected_.  No one ever taught him how to deal with wounds like this.  The vampires had always just assumed he would be around them, but now all he had was a numb arm and five useless vials of Kiyoko’s blood.  By themselves, they won’t be able to heal him.  Not from a demon weapon, anyway.

As he thinks all this, Shouyou suddenly remembers Tobio and whips around, sword held in front of him.  To his surprise, Tobio has lowered his weapon and is staring at him uncertainly.  The dark cloud has been reduced to a menacing ball of shadow behind Tobio, whose eyes flick from the cut on Shouyou’s arm to his dirty but still bright orange hair. “What are you doing here. . . .”  It sounds less like a question and more like an observation, and Shouyou points weakly to the demon behind Tobio.

“Put that away and we’ll talk,” he says, feeling himself sway slightly. “I don’t want it around.”

“I can’t trust you.”  Tobio glances over towards Kenma, who is fighting two other humans. “And why are you with him, if you wanted to talk to me?”

Confused, Shouyou shrugs. “He’s my—” Tobio narrows his eyes as Shouyou shifts uncomfortably.  Kenma killed one of Tobio’s friends, and Shouyou isn’t even allowed to tell Kenma anything about what’s happening. “Just . . . can we sneak away for a moment?”  He sheathes his sword in a gesture of peace, hoping Tobio won’t seize the moment and run him through.  Already, cold pain is radiating from his shoulder across his collarbone. “I really, really need to talk to you about something.”

“Anything you want to say you can say right now,” Tobio says, though he sounds hesitant. “Else I’ll just get rid of you now.”  The demon cloud emits a shriek of laughter, flaring up for a moment before settling down at a glance from Tobio. Shouyou weighs the options in his mind.  He can say it here and risk everyone hearing it.  He can try to convince Tobio to come with him.  He could always just give up and come back later.  _Not that there’s really much of a later to come back,_ he reflects.

Kenma is still fighting the other two humans.  They look tired whereas the fledging looks as if he’s enjoying himself.  Maybe.  Shouyou can’t really tell what he’s thinking, as his face is screwed up in concentration. “Okay,” Shouyou says quietly. “Basically it’s this.  You’re in danger, and I need to get you out of it.”

“Why?” Tobio doesn’t sound convinced, and Shouyou has to sit down, overcome by a wave of nausea.

“Because . . . people,” Shouyou says, unaware of his fragmented speech. “They want you . . . The Queen’s secret, you see.”

Dizzy as he is, Shouyou doesn’t notice how quiet the street has become.  Kenma has abandoned his battle and come to stand by Tobio, who glares at him before turning back to Shouyou. The other two hover uncertainly in the background; it seems Tobio is in charge. “What are you talking about?” Tobio and Kenma ask at the same time. 

“You know, I don’t really know,” Shouyou admits before collapsing backwards.

 

Upon waking, Shouyou is relieved to find that his arm is responding again.  A thick layer of bandages has been wrapped around the cut, which is suspiciously devoid of pain.  His head, however, seems to be overcompensating, as it feels like his brain is trying to break out of his skull.  Shouyou sits up to find his wrists and ankles attached to chains on the floor.  He can move around his cell – because that’s definitely what it is – but that’s about it.  He gives an experimental tug to see if he can escape them, but they only tighten when pulled.  The door opens suddenly as a blond girl peers in.  Shouyou has to stare at her for a moment to make sure he’s never seen her before.  But it’s not his imagination; her eyes are red. Unnerved, he asks, “What am I?” It comes out as a mixture of _Where am I_ and _What are you_.

The girl looks unprepared for the question and instead says, “Are you hungry?” She holds up one of the syringes Kiyoko had given him, and suddenly Shouyou is aware that yes, he is in fact starving.

Shouyou nods, and the girl hands him the syringe. “We found them when we searched your clothes.  No one else would touch them.”  Shouyou accepts it from her and inserts the needle into his forearm, sighing in relief as the vampire cells enter his bloodstream.  It’s not as satisfying as drinking it, but carrying around bottles would have been harder.  As soon as the syringe is empty, the girl takes it away from him, possibly afraid he’s going to try to use it as a weapon now that his strength is coming back.  Already the headache is receding, leaving him to stare at her some more.  Noticing, she blinks slowly at him. “Are you Kiyoko’s?”

He hesitates before answering.  How does she know Kiyoko and more importantly, what is she?  Her movements are too fluid to be a human’s, but why would a vampire be holding him prisoner?  And who are the _no one else_ she mentioned before?  _Is there a secret society of vampires living in the city?  How have the humans not found them yet?_   Taking a risk, he nods quickly. “She’s my sire.  But who are you?”

The girl nods and inspects him before answering. “I thought I recognized her scent.  My name is Yachi Hitoka, and she’s my sire, too.”

Shouyou stares at her, dumbstruck. “She never told me about you.  Where are we?”  He wants to accuse her of lying, but a few facts support her claim.  She has the trademark red eyes of a fully-realized vampire, not to mention her movements and the way she apparently recognized Kiyoko’s scent.  She herself smells more like a human than anything else, but that could just be from spending time around them.  Underneath it is that muskier, darker scent of vampire that Shouyou has to strain to detect.  That means this probably isn’t a hidden vampire stronghold after all, but it only raises several more question in Shouyou’s mind.

“Kageyama said you wanted to talk to him.  What about?” Yachi stands in the doorway, still scrutinizing him.  She almost seems a bit intimidated by him despite that he’s chained to a cell after being stabbed. 

“Where’s Kenma?” he blurts, feeling guilty for not thinking of his friend sooner. “I won’t say anything else until you lead me to him.”  It’s a desperate ploy, but she’s obviously unbalanced by it.  Apparently she’s not the most assertive person in the world, and it’s possible he can use that to his advantage.  Kiyoko never, ever mentioned siring any other vampires.  Yet she’s the same age as him, or at least looks like it.  With a jolt, he realizes he doesn’t know how old Kiyoko is.  At least a few hundred years, right?  But then who is this other girl who claims to have been sired by her?

“I don’t have the key,” Yachi says. “But I might know someone who can get them.  Um.  Stay here, I’ll go see.”  The irony of it is not lost on Shouyou as he sits back down.  The mattress is soft, at least.  There’s nothing else in the cell except a bucket with the handle removed.  _They probably thought I might use that, as well_.

It’s not long before footsteps return, but it’s not Yachi.  Tobio stands in the doorway like Yachi had, but as he’s at least a foot taller, Shouyou has to look up at him. “Why are you here?” he asks flatly.  He doesn’t sound hostile, which is nice, but he doesn’t sound particularly happy to see Shouyou, either. 

“I was supposed to get you,” Shouyou mumbles. “Something about you have some genetic issues or something.”  As soon as he says it, Shouyou regrets his word choice. “I mean,” he hurries on, before Tobio can say anything, “that you have some sort of gene that was supposed to be wiped out.  So the vampires want you.”  _Or more specifically, Queen Krul wants you.  But we’ll get to that later, maybe._   Tobio’s dark gaze looks slightly concerned as Shouyou coughs several times. “I don’t know, okay?  Kiyoko only told me this morning.  And I wasn’t paying very good attention.”

“That’s what she meant,” Tobio says unexpectedly, popping his neck.

“Um. Who?  Yachi?”  Shouyou can’t tell if Tobio believes him or not.  Over Tobio’s shoulder – or rather, under his arm – Shouyou can see daylight outside, which answers another one of his questions.  It’s probably been a day if not more since he passed out.  Most likely more, considering how hungry he was when he woke up.

“No, someone else,” says Tobio, shrugging. “I took away your sword, but I can’t let you out until I know you won’t try to go on a rampage.”

“Er, how long will that take, exactly?” Shouyou asks, remembering he only has four syringes left.  If he runs out, he _will_ go on a rampage, and it won’t even be his fault. _Why did I have to get stabbed?  If I had just been a little faster I might have been able to do something!_

Tobio shrugs. “Don’t ask me.  It depends on you.”

“Yeah, er, I probably only have a month before I start turning into a demon or something so if we could speed up the whole trust-proving thing, that would be great,” Shouyou blurts.  Tobio shrugs again before shutting the door and leaving.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *ahem* I might end up orphaning this work because I just don't have time to work on it as much as I'd like to. We shall have to see. 
> 
> Thanks for reading~

**Author's Note:**

> I probably messed up the tense somewhere. Tear me to shreds, ignore me, whatever floats your boat. I just felt like writing this and so I shall. Short chapters because I'm shit ^_^
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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